I Happen To Like Jokes Part 4
by EmperorJoker09
Summary: Joker and Harley meet, lives will be forever changed, fourth part of I Happen to Like Jokes series. I strongly suggest you read part one, two, and three. I hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Part 4 Chapter 1

"Dannie?" he called out as he ran his slender finger along the smooth wood grain of her dresser, "How long have we known one another? Say about six months? Enough time to…oh you know, learn your habits and nature to a religious basis."

Danielle sat on the edge of her bed attentively listening to his magnetic voice call upon her. She watched his tall trim frame walk menacingly in front of her, grabbing her eyes and toying with her emotions to a rather easy manipulation.

"I've seen how you work. I've seen how you manipulate others to get just what you want or need, take advantage of them, use them to your every whim."

And then like a thunderous bolt of lightening, yet precise and clean all the while, he was right next to her ear. Whispering and taunting in his lovely gravely voice.

"_And I like it_…"

Just like that he was snatched away by some unnecessary urge and he left her side to return back to her dresser. Once again running his finger along the top of it.

"You've got potential you know? Just sitting there!" he turned back to Danielle and leaned down in front of her. Grasping onto her delicate fingers and rubbing the tips of them in a soothing delicious swirl, "In these very tips Dannie, you've got what it takes to become something great."

Again, he was snatched away so suddenly. Briskly tip toeing his fingers along the dresser, as if they were legs taking its owner on a stroll. His breathtaking throaty laugh strangling her to nothing more than a lifeless doll.

"All you need Dannie, is someone who has knowledge of Gotham. Someone who can _guide_ you, _protect_ you, _love_ you…to take under your wing?" he sneakily snatched a lone standing picture frame and swiftly turned it around.

The picture frame housed Danielle's beloved photograph of her father pressing his hand over her heart. And this man, though Danielle didn't see his actions, had the nerve of hiding The Jokers eyes from his predatory doings. He ultimately loathed the very creature that provided Danielle with her beautiful and unimaginable mind. Because in the end, The Joker was competition.

"I could do that Dannie…I could be your guide, protector. I could love you if you let me."

There he was again, dangerously lingering under her ear. He was so quick, so sudden; she could never predict his next move.

"I could take you," he placed a gentle kiss on her skin, like ice and fire mixed into one. "I could take you exactly where you've wanted to go. All your life you've been waiting for dear old daddy to come home and let him show you how to use your wits correctly."

Another kiss, this time close to the corner of her eye and he just laughs again. That indescribable chuckle in his throat and she can't pull away from it. Even if she wanted to.

"Daddy isn't coming back," his raspy tone spurts against her closed eye. Using his magical spell to cast her into a sea of never ending devotion. "He's left you angel…left you right when you thought your life was going to be enjoyable again. You just wanted mommy and daddy to be with you again, no more of that nasty Oswald interrupting your happy family. Just you, and mommy, and daddy. All nestled under the warmth of your lovely home. Happy and original like a damn apple pie…_Dannie_?"

His hands cup the back of her head and he massages so intensely. But it's like a soft kneading, delicate yet forceful. She presses her forehead against his; he always makes the troubles go away. No matter what, he always makes them go away.

"But now look my precious angel…look what your daddy did to your happy family. It consists of a depressed mother now, who struggles day in and day out to support you. She can barely pay the bills, barely afford decent meals to feed you with, barely making enough to hang this," he wiggles his fingers in the air, a disgusted frown made, and points at the ceiling and atmosphere of where she lives, "apartment made of flimsy cards over your head…"

All she could do was fight back her tears as he held her. He was so strong in his assurance, so strong in his words. And she was weak, like the lone flower that sat on top of the hill, lonely and waiting for someone who understood her, to come and pick her and show her the world. Show her how to use her fantastic and brilliant ideas and plans rightfully. Someone who knew how she thought.

"Dannie…he's been gone for eleven years. He isn't coming back…"

Her eyes closed tight, fighting against his words, "That's why I'm going to see him tomorrow. I'm turning sixteen and there isn't anything anyone can do about it. I've been trapped, concealed from seeing my own father for eleven years."

A furious sigh and then his sweet loving and seducing tone comes back to haunt her, "But angel, he left you because he doesn't love you and Harley anymore. Why else would he have left Dannie?"

"My father does love me! He left to protect me from becoming like him. He didn't want me to get hurt, I know how he thinks…going to Arkham was his only choice for a chance at me leading a normal life."

"But that isn't what you wanted is it Dannie…you wanted to be just like him. And he shot you down…denied you access to becoming something great…are you sure it was out of love for his daughter? Or could it be jealously of having his own child upstage him in the end?"

"He was excited about me, he _wanted_ me to be greater than him! You don't know him like I do Jasper, he loves me. And I love him."

A courteous head tilt later and he was kissing her neck, "Maybe so…but don't you think that after eleven years alone from his family he'll consult back to his original ways? Think about it Dannie," his wide grinning lips press against her throat so passionately, "you've never been around your father when he's The Joker…"

"It's a chance that I'm willing to take."

"But I'm right here Danielle. I can take you places you've only dreamed about going. I can make you the greatest villain the world has seen yet. All you have to say is okay, and I'll take you away with me, away from this ragged life you're living. Forget about your father…and come with me instead. I can show you how to use that mind of yours…"

"I'm not leaving my mother, and I will not…forget about my father."

He pulled away from her neck with an angry growl, teeth snarling as he then pressed his cheek against hers, "Why are you so stuck on him!"

"Because I love him," and she with passive elements in her turn, allowed her lips to press against his cheek and kiss him. She shortly after pulled away and smiled sweetly at his still frowning gesture, "Hey now," she captured his cheeks with her hands and pulled his view back in front her, "you know I don't have a thing for guys with frowns."

Jasper let a short grin take over his furious frown as he stared into Danielle's beautiful purple depths, "Don't you love _me_ Dannie?"

"Jasper…" she smiled and pressed her nose lightly against his, "you know it's hard for me to express those sort of emotions so openly. Besides, I think deep down you know."

"But you say you love your father openly," he livened his act with a cute saddened voice to make her swoon over him, "why can't you say it about me?"

She pressed her smile into his cheek and kissed him, "I honestly don't know. I guess it's just something I picked up from my dad."

"Why must you make every little thing in this world revolve around him!" his tongue tickled her ear and she giggled as she was pushed backwards onto the bed. "Let the world revolve around you Dannie, if you were with me I'd-"

"I've learned a lot about my father Jasper, and one of those things is that everything in some way, revolves around him. He gives purpose."

He hovered his body above hers and soon his own tooth filled smile shone brilliantly against her eyes, "I love you Dannie. I love you Danielle Diamond Quinn."

"How do you know, you haven't even kissed me yet…"

"Tomorrow when you turn sixteen my precious angel, there will no longer be a rule against that. These lips," he pressed a finger against his mouth, "will be able to touch those lips," and finished by pressing his finger against her smile.

"I was never much for rules, why not give me my present early Jasper?"

"Now now, best not break your mothers rules. 'No lip on lip action until my baby girl turns sixteen' correct?" his enlightening chuckle furthered her into adoration and she was quick to slip out from underneath him.

Danielle grabbed her sweatshirt and eased it over her head with little effort, "I think if you weren't twenty one, my mom would be a bit more comfortable with you around."

"But, despite the fact that you are the child of The Joker, you're quite mature Dannie. You wouldn't do anything to defile the trust of your mother." With a swift even movement Jasper was right by her side, cuddling his way into her heart, rubbing his nose into her neck as they exited her room, "Even if you do, deep down, you really want me. And don't play stupid, I know you do."

"Ha!" she turned toward him in a soft loving gesture and wrapped her arms gracefully around his waist on the inside of his dark blue trench coat, "I certainly do not."

"Humph, I'm sure you don't," he slipped his hands into his pockets, and smiled mischievously down at her, admiring how her eyes sparkled like perfect gems.

She bit her lip, still smiling as she reached up to his crisp red fedora hat and pulled it off, placing it atop her own head and giggling.

"Why do you like that hat so much?" he asked already knowing the answer. His eyes fell into a cleverly placed shadow as she fit the hat on and ran her fingers along the brim.

"Because it reminds me of him. Of course his was purple, but I can remember him wearing his whenever I see yours," she took the hat off and placed it rightfully back on top of Jaspers head, "You look a lot like him…your eyes when they fall into shadows, the length of your face, even your smile at the corners remind me of him," an uplifting smile was presented to her and she grinned back as she ran her fingers across his lips.

Jasper leaned down and whispered in her ear with his carefree gravely tone, nipping her mind with impish audacity, "Dannie, is that all you see me for? The next best thing in terms of your father?"

"No, no not at all," the quick reply of her plea was meant to win him back, begging for forgiveness of making him feel belittled. "You just remind me a lot of him, I can't help it Jasper, you do. Anyways, I like you for other reasons besides the clothes you wear. You make me laugh; you make me see the brighter side of things. You're always there for me, no matter what. And you always make my troubles melt away…even when I'm stubborn and tell you not to try." Danielle gave him a squeezing embrace, trying with all her might to let him understand, "You know that."

"Dannie love," fierce fingers tickled down her back, "I so wish you'd just tell me that you love me. They're such simple words. After all I've told you so many things about me, things I've told no one else in this world…I trust you and I'd wish you'd trust me. Trust that I'll love you forever. I'd never leave you like your father did."

"Even if it were out of love that you had to leave? Jasper don't you get it? He left because he felt he had to leave!" she buried her face in his chest and sighed, "Why are you so jealous of him?"

"I'm not jealous! I'm angry because he consumes your thoughts! I should be consuming those thoughts! I'm here for you everyday, every minute! I'm here with open arms trying to fight for your damn love, and you grab me and then push away…"

Danielle's eyes were dull as she looked painfully up into his, "I'm sorry Jaspy. I'm sorry."

So quick in his movements he brought his lips to her hairline and kissed there sweetly, "I know baby love…I know. I just love you so much and it hurts to see you so unhappy."

"Everything okay sweetie?" Harley asked as she passed by the hallway slowly, caring for the concern of her daughter, "I heard yelling."

"Yea mom," she pulled away from his chest and smiled, "everything's fine, Jasper was just on his way out."

Unhurried steps filled the hallway as Jasper made his leave, his smile bright and chilling as he paused his gate in front of Harley. He removed his hat and let his black slicked hair be shown, neat and crisp besides the two usual curling locks that fell across his forehead. His hat placed over his chest as he gave a courteous bow, "Miss Quinn, dinner was excellent as usual," he stood straight and reapplied his hat.

"Thank you Jasper," an overly induced use of fake thanks was used, although he didn't seem to be fazed in the least.

Danielle grabbed onto his hand and walked him to the door, "I'll be right back kay mom? I'm just going to walk him to his car."

Careful eyes watched Jaspers moves, but all he did was smile. Harley turned her back on them and walked to the coffee table in the living room, "Five minutes Danielle, that's it."

Danielle opened the door and led Jasper outside, where they walked hand and hand down the apartment hallway and out the entrance door.

"I think she's beginning to like me Dannie," his chuckle called out.

Danielle looked up at him and laughed, "She hates your guts."

They walked down the darkened path that led to Jaspers car, and once there they both stood awkwardly not wanting to let the other go.

"Dannie, I'll see you tomorrow. I promise I'll be here bright and early to watch Saturday morning cartoons with you, just like every Saturday. I haven't missed a day yet have I?"

"No you haven't, but I'm waiting for the slip up."

He cocked his head to the side and pensively held her chin, speaking in that whispery gruff voice he just knew she couldn't get enough of, "Just think, tomorrow you'll be sixteen, and I'll kiss you and steal your heart." His tongue jokingly licked the corner of his lips and he cocked his head in the other direction, "And then when you're eighteen I'll steal your-"

"Hey!" she slapped his chest teasingly and giggled at his own lighthearted titter.

Jasper ran his finger down her cheek and then charmingly pulled away from her body and towards the car door handle.

"Jasper?"

Lightly raised brows and attentive green eyes struck her soul, "Yes Dannie love?"

"Can I keep your hat overnight? Just until morning?"

That stretching grin and his sweet humble voice, "Is it for remembering me or your father?"

"You know I have other things that remind me of him. Your hat reminds me of his hat, not him necessarily…it reminds me more of you than it does him Jasp."

"Then if it reminds you of me in even the slightest concurrence," he removed his hat once again and placed it on top of her head, "I want you to hold it near and dear to your heart."

She smiled and shook her head, perplexed by her actions, "I don't even really understand why I act this way around you. You've seen how I act; I'm just like my father when you're not around. I feel fake."

"Dannie, you're not fake. This side of you _is_ you. You may have The Jokers wits, but you have Harley Quinn's heart. And your heart acts stronger than your mind in some cases. That's something that you can never get rid of. Something I don't want you to rid yourself of. You're a wonderful combination my angel, one in a million and I love that about you.

"Jasper…" she looked away as she felt his fingers play with curios abandon in her blond hair.

"I love everything about you. From your witty comebacks, to your careful and gentle breathing when you sleep. I love how when you wear you hair up in a high ponytail, your bangs hang loosely at the sides of your face. I love how when you get angry or upset your cheeks get red and hot. Dannie, I love you, I love how you curl your toes when your happy, and I love that when you're sad you let me know by curling up in my lap."

"Jasper I've got to go back inside, my mom's going to start worrying…"

"No, just listen to me Dannie love, just listen," he took hold of her hand as she tried to leave, "I love how when your confused the corner of your right eye starts to twitch. I love how you threw that glass of soda at the waiter because he brought you the right order, but you played it off like you ordered something else. I love your jokes, I love your laugh, I love you and your crazy wacky sprees. But you know what I don't love? I don't love how you wont let me be apart of all that. Think about you and me together Dannie, forever and ever. I'd do anything for you, and I'd make you the greatest villain, just like you've always wanted."

Her eyes strolled away from his as she gave him a quick and short kiss on the cheek, "I'll see you tomorrow…okay?"

"Okay my beautiful Dannie," he let go of her hand and watched her wander away back up the path and into the apartment building. Satisfied that she was safely back inside the building he got into his car and left.

Danielle entered back into her apartment suite and sat with an exaggerated sigh onto the couch next to her mother, "So."

"Yes?" Harley asked as she worked on folding clothing from the dryer, setting them into neat organized piles.

Annoyingly, Danielle pestered into the area of Harleys ear and whispered as she tapped on her shoulder, "What did ya get me?"

Harley's hand waved her away as if she were a pesky fly, "I'm not telling you silly girl, you'll just have to wait until tomorrow."

"Well that's not much fun now is it…" Danielle crossed her arms over her chest and pulled her legs up onto the couch, "Can I have a hint?"

While she continued to fold the clothes, Harley let out a quiet laugh and shook her head, trying her best to ignore her daughters pestering.

"Is it…big?"

She set down a pair of folded pants and continued onto her next clothing item, "No."

Happily stated now, "It's small then, right?"

"No Danielle, it's neither big nor small."

A loud smack echoed throughout the room after she clapped her hands together, "Okay, then it's medium. We're on to something at least. Tell me, is it fuzzy?"

"Go to bed Danielle," she tried her hardest not to laugh but failed miserably at her attempt.

"Mom, I'm turning sixteen tomorrow. You know what that means," her once joyful and gleeful tone now turned into a saddened, almost pleading one.

Harley set down her chore and looked over at Danielle, "I told you I don't want you to go and see him."

"But he's my father. I love him mom, I love him so much and I have so many questions for him. I need to see him; please will you take me to Arkham? That's the only thing I've asked for my birthday is a chance to see him again. And I know you've worked hard on gaining back the trust and respect of the government and state, in fact I'm proud of you mom for being declared legally sane. But me? Even if the government thinks I'm sane too, in my heart," she giggled, "I'm not. I'm just like him. It's my destiny, my life…to be like him. And even though he doesn't want me to be like him…because he doesn't want me to get hurt? I still want to be. All my life I've wanted to. I want him to guide me, show me the ropes, take my hand and show me how to use this brilliant mind he gave me mom. I want to give him the chance to make that option, before I result to something else."

Harley sighed and rubbed the side of her nose in thought, "Danielle, I don't want you to go to Arkham. I don't want you to go and see him, because truthfully I don't want you to end up like your father. I know it's in your heart to be like him, but I don't want to see you end up hurt, or in Arkham as a patient, or worse…"

"Mom, I know you don't want me to end up like him. Either way, if you take me or not, I'm going to end up _exactly_ like him. And maybe if dad understands that no matter what he does, I'll end up becoming a rogue, maybe he'll come back to us and-"

"He will not be coming back here," defiance and sureness bolstered out of her small frame.

A large smile covered Danielle's face instantly, "Mom, I know you still love him."

"I do not. What he did to you and I was inexcusable. He didn't discuss his plans with me, he just left and had us waiting at the door for six years before we finally realized he truly wasn't coming back. How can you do that to someone you love Dannie? I'll admit, I still care for him, for his well being, but I do not _love_ him."

"He still loves you and I though."

"Yes, your father still loves us. I know that for a fact."

Danielle stood from her spot on the couch and waited patiently before leaving to go to her bedroom, "I just need to see him mom. The only way for me to go is for you to take me. Jasper won't. And even though the state said that you could see him for sake of discussion of his child and because you're sane, you don't have to. Just take me, please mom, for my birthday at least."

She patted her thighs in struggling thought, "I guess in the end it really doesn't matter if you see him or not. And he is your father, you have the right to see him," she too stood up and shakily sighed, "Alright DD, you can see him. We'll leave at twelve tomorrow okay?"

"You're…you're serious? You're actually going to take me?" her chest heaved in rapid movements as her breathing quickened into a happy state.

She walked over to her daughter and gave her a hug, "I'm actually going to take you. Now go to bed, you look tired."

"I love you momma!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms in the air and pranced happily on her way to her room.

Harley tapped her toes against the carpeted floor, "I love you too Dannie."

Excitedly she turned off the lights to her room and jumped into her pajamas before pouncing into her bed. She flew the covers over her body and smiled at the thought of seeing her father again, the man she always looked up to for reassurance.

Danielle set Jaspers hat down to her left and quickly reached into her pillowcase to reveal her fathers old bowtie. She brought up to her cheek, letting the smoothness of it caress her skin, "I'm finally going to get to see you again dad…and I know you've probably changed back to your old ways…and I know I've never seen you that way…but I love you and I always will. And I know you love me too."


	2. Chapter 2

Part 4 Chapter 2

"So, where does this meal go?"

"That meal goes to room J209."

The orderly grabbed the meal and looked his fellow officer in the eyes with hesitant respect, "J209, isn't that The Jokers room?"

"Sure is," he replied as he took a seat in his chair and began diligently looking through his ring of keys for the appropriate one.

"But…didn't he just, you know, kill someone last night? What if he's still angry or upset or something? What if he tries to hurt me? Shouldn't more than one person go to his room to give him his breakfast?"

"Relax Abbot, I'm going with you. Besides, he's locked down tight, has his straight jacket on, his face mask…and he usually doesn't kill someone in Arkham back to back days," the orderly stood from his seat after finding the correct room key and gave officer Moaney a pat on the shoulder.

"Well, I'm kind of intimidated at the fact that we're going to have to take off that jacket and mask as soon as we get in there. That's all I'm sayin'."

The officers both exited the meal room and journeyed together down the bleak and gray halls of the asylum, "Well of course you do! But that doesn't mean you should be afraid of the guy. For Christ's sake, he dresses up as a clown for a living, I don't understand why people are so intimated by him."

"He's killed well over two thousand people Dorjay, not to mention he's been in Arkham for over ten years without breaking out. And everyday he gets worse mentally and emotionally, real on the edge, kinda fidgety and unpredictable. Eleven years ago no one was really afraid of him because he changed right? I mean sure he still killed, but he wasn't as…raving, mad, crazy."

Dorjay responded with a quiet nod to his partner, "I guess, but still. The only reason you should be afraid of him is because he's got a real heart for his family."

"That's true," Abbot adjusted the warm covered meal in his hands as they turned the corner of the hall and appeared into the J hallway. "I guess that's the only real good thing The Joker has going for him, the fact that he has a family and actually loves 'em."

"In a way, it's sort of depressing. I hear the only reason he stays here is because he didn't want his kid to end up becoming like him. Didn't want her to get hurt in the long run, what was her name, Danielle?"

"Yea, I hear she's a pretty good kid, must be rough living life only known as being the daughter of The Joker though."

Dorjay and Abbot appeared in front of the room indicated as J209, and both teetered at the thought of opening up the darkened room.

Abbot chuckled at the sight of his frightened friend, "I thought you said there was no reason to be afraid of him?"

"Shut up dumbass," Dorjay inserted his key into the doors lock and steadily turned it until he heard an unlocking click, and then with a hardened swallow, entered the room.

The only sound that could be heard was the soft and consistent breathing that snaked throughout the area. A soft slumbering breath that consisted of toiling drama and utmost suspense.

Abbot flicked the light switch on from outside The Jokers room, and soon with a few shuddering flickers, the intense light shone down upon Jokers form. He was clothed in a tightly bound straight jacket, his arms secured and leashed, and his face was well hidden by the barred mask he wore, only his closed eyes and mouth were visible. In accompaniment to these features was the long steel upright board he was forcefully chained to. He, after all, had become increasingly accustomed to the wonderful caper of breaking out of his room at night and enjoying his time alone by venturing into various rooms.

Dorjay kept his distance from the chained clown as he shouted out, "Alright big guy, wake up time! Breakfast hot and ready!"

Joker, hearing the distant ring of Dorjay's voice in his ear, slowly opened his eyes in a daze. He scanned the area in front of him, and saw the two guards and a tray of food that looked disgustingly evaporated. After a few more seconds of scanning, he took in a deep breath and held it for several moments before letting the musky air flow back out of him in a rush of anticipation.

"Come on Joker," Abbot called out, "you've got eggs, bacon, grits, and orange juice for breakfast today."

Joker cleared his throat and rolled his eyes in annoyance, "How reassuring."

Dorjay gathered some strength up and commented on his own accord, "Aw, Joker not in a good mood today? Are you not happy that you've got a muzzle?"

"If I were you, I'd pipe down with the comments. You after all need to undue my chaining, and that means you'll be in close range of me…I'm sure you've heard what happened to that poor fellow last night. Yes poor fellow. Don't get on my bad side, kay?"

After hearing Joker, Dorjay looked down at the ground and waited for Abbot to come to his side.

Abbot set the tray on the floor and pulled out a set of keys from his pocket, "Okay Joker, we're going to unlock you, that way you can eat. Cooperate and everything will run smoothly."

Joker yawned to the best of his mobility and watched the two guards work away on taking off his chains, "Oh of course, because in the end cooperation is the only thing that will redeem mankind right? Oh yes of course, I give you my full cooperation."

"Alright Joker," Abbot directed after he and Dorjay had fully removed the chains, "step down off the bed and we'll remove your jacket and mask."

He sighed again and lazily stepped down, "You call this sheet of flimsy metal a bed? Hm, more like an open coffin for all to see."

Abbot smiled, trying his best to be considerate to the clown before him, "I know it's not much of a bed. But maybe if you didn't keep sneaking off at night they wouldn't have to put you on this thing."

"Well what do you expect me to do? Sitting in this room wide-awake is quite boring. So, I make my time useful and scurry about the halls, amusing myself here and there with wacky jokes and sprees!"

"Ha, well," Abbot pulled off Jokers straightjacket and then quickly unlocked his mask, "you didn't hear this from me, but I think it's actually funny to hear about your doings when I come into work in the mornings."

Joker smiled and rubbed his wrists as Dorjay quietly grabbed the meal tray from the floor, "It's nice to hear about some people being able to appreciate little tads of fun."

"Alright, when you're done let us know, we'll be outside your room. I'm sure you have the routine down."

Joker went to the corner of his room with the meal and crouched down into it with his back up against the wall. He removed the lid from his meal and tossed it across the room causing a loud clanging disruption to the environment he was in. He then examined his meal, the powdery eggs, the overly cooked and blackened bacon, a side of something he wanted to call spew but decided grits was sufficient enough, and a small carton of usually watered down orange juice.

If Harley had made him breakfast, everything would have been made perfectly. He closed his eyes and tried to let the thought of her vanish, but it was of little help, she plagued his mind, littered it with her never-ending beauty and love.

He reached out and grabbed a piece of the bacon and tossed it to the side, quickly followed by the entire plate and tray.

Abbot, hearing the noise behind him, turned to see what had happened, "What's the matter? Why did you throw your food?"

"Not hungry," he mumbled as he stood up from his sitting position and kicked at the nearby try.

"You know you could have just told me that you weren't hungry instead of throwing it all over your room."

Joker looked over at the officer and grinned maliciously, "Yes I could have. But I didn't, what are you going to do? Tell on me?"

Abbot calmed himself down and smiled kindly, "Could I get you something else? Water?"

"Just take me to the common room," he bleakly demanded as he slouched forward and frowned.

"You'll have to be put back into the jacket. You probably won't-"

"_Officer Abbot, are you currently with patient 699321?"_

Abbot pulled his radio out from its holster and replied curiously into it, "This is officer Abbot, I am with the described patient. Is there a problem?"

"_He has visitors, is he well enough this morning to see them?"_

He turned to Joker and calmly asked him a few questions, "What do you say? In the mood to see some visitors? I'm actually surprised Arkham is letting you have those privileges, especially considering the fact that you killed one of our staff last night."

Joker narrowed his eyes and questioned the chance to see visitors. For over ten years he hadn't one passerby who wanted to even remotely catch a glimpse of him, and now he had not one visitor, but visitors? Who in this dastardly world would want to visit with…

"What day is it?"

"Pardon?" Abbot asked as Dorjay turned his attention to the questioning clown.

"What day is it?!"

The guards both jumped back at the sudden surge of power that exited from Joker, but Dorjay was quick to give a response, "Saturday!"

Joker growled and slammed his fists against the see through door of his room, "The date man! The date!"

"It's uh…I think it's August twenty third!" Dorjay bolstered out suddenly.

Joker let his clenched fists slide down the door slowly, his thunderous eyes mellowed to nothing more than a calm relaxed onlooker, and his angry grimace turned into a short grin, "Dannie…"

The receptionist, annoyed with the prolong delay to her question, repeated herself demandingly into her radio once again, "Is the patient well enough to have visitors this morning?"

Harley tapped her fingers in a relaxed manner against the receptionist counter, "Is everything all right?"

"_Uh, yea sorry about that. Yes, he'll be in the visitor rooms shortly."_

Danielle looked over at her mother and smiled when Harley met with her glance. She let her smile fade as she saw a look of reluctance in her mother's eyes, "Mom…"

"Yea?"

She grabbed her mother's hand as the receptionist gathered paper work together for them to sign, "You should see him."

"I don't think I can. I wouldn't know what to say to him," Harley looked back towards the woman behind the desk and was handed a small pack of papers and a pen.

"Sign this please, and then you can both go in to see the patient."

Harley nodded and spoke softly, "Alright, thank you."

"What do you mean you wouldn't know what to say to him? I know you love him."

"Danielle, enough," Harley passed the packet over to Danielle after she finished signing and waited patiently for her daughter to do the same.

She snatched the pen out of Harley's hand and while looking her mother square in the eyes, signed the waiver form, "You can't run away from something that is engraved into your heart."

"Right this way please," the receptionist stood from her chair after taking back the documents and directed the two of them towards a door leading into the visitor's room.

"Then why did he run away? Why did he run away from his family Dannie? Why is it okay that he ran away?" Harley marched to the side of Danielle, her voice hushed but stern and saddened.

Danielle noticed the tone and instantly wrapped her arm over Harley's shoulders as they walked, "You know as well as I do that he didn't run away. He did what he thought was best for his family. I know you're upset, I know you're angry…but try to put yourself in his shoes mom, try to just imagine all the things that cross his mind in any given second…I can see where he was coming from because I think just like him. At the time, the choice he made was the best choice, its benefit was greater than the cost and he ran with it. It's difficult for you to accept what he did…but that was eleven years ago, give him a chance mom. Give him a chance for me at least."

"Alright, here we are," the receptionist opened another door for the both of them, revealing a private sectioned off room about the size of a standard bedroom. In the middle was a long steel table, along with two chairs on either side of it, "he should be in shortly. Any questions before I'm off?"

"Oh no, thank you very much," Harley smiled and pulled out one of the chairs as the woman left her and Danielle alone. She looked at Danielle who eagerly took her seat beside her. Harley couldn't help but smile at the excitement in her perfect purple eyes, "I don't know if I want to be in here sweetie girl."

"Come on mom, please give him a chance. If you're that uncomfortable you can excuse yourself after a little while okay? I'm sure he wants to talk to you," Danielle tilted her head and whispered toward her mother, "he loves you so much."

Harley reached out for Danielle's hand and took hold of it, her fingers slightly trembling all the while, "Okay Dannie girl…okay."

"It'll be okay mom, I'm right here and I love you."

"I love you too Dannie. Happy birthday."

Danielle smiled and tightened her hand around Harley's. A quiet courtesy knock sounded at the door behind them and with an almost silent hiss it was opened. Officer Abbot entered alone, his hand still on the door handle, "Excuse me, but you're here to see The Joker correct?"

"Yup!" Danielle excitedly exclaimed as she turned to look at the guard.

Abbot nodded satisfied with the answer but faltered for a moment when he saw who was sitting next to the eager girl, "You're…you're Harley Quinn aren't you? The Harley Quinn!"

She rolled her eyes, "Yea, was…now I'm Harleen Quinzel thank you," and turned back to the table in front of her to escape the minor paparazzi.

"And you must be Danielle, right? The daughter of The Joker…holy shit!"

"The one and only," Danielle proudly stated. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to see my father. It's been a while, I'm sure you know the tale."

"Right, right. _Holy shit_," he said under his breath as he turned back to leave the room and retrieve Joker who had been standing, cuffed at the ankles and wrists, next to Dorjay.

"So uh, why did you kill that guy last night? Any particular reason?" Dorjay asked rather curiously.

Joker smiled and looked down at the guard through the corner of his eyes, "He gave me a rather disgusting breakfast. You know, sort of like the one you two provided me with this morning?"

Dorjay took a small step away from Jokers side in fear of the reasoning of his killing, and Joker couldn't help but laugh loudly at the cowardly response. Its ominous gleeful abandon toiled aimlessly through the building.

Danielle jumped out of her seat at the sound of her fathers laugh, and Harley grabbed her hand. At the feeling of the soft flesh against Danielle's own, she looked down at her mother and smiled as a tear fell from her eye and burned against her cheek, "That's my dad…"

"Yes it is baby girl, yes it is."

Abbot reopened the door; his hands securely latched onto Jokers shoulder and back, and maneuvered him into the room and towards one of the empty chairs.

Joker's dark eyes fell onto his daughters and he sighed heavily after swallowing down a large lump in his throat. There was no mistaking who this beautiful young girl was in front of him. Her blond hair up in a loose ponytail, her high cheekbones were subtle but gorgeous, and those defying purple eyes just screamed at him.

As Abbot continued to direct Joker to his chair, he was suddenly stopped as Joker stopped his forward movement, "Come on bud, go on and sit."

Joker ignored the command and continued to look at his daughter who strikingly resembled Harley's delightful features. He tilted his head to the side and smiled at Danielle whose cheeks were starting to become quite reflective from the many tears that crossed them, "You shouldn't cry baby princess."

With that quietly said, Danielle wiped the back of her hand across her cheeks and then took a step toward him but stopped and let a deep gust of air enter her quickly and then exit slowly.

"Dannie?" he asked still smiling, not really sure what to make of her gestures. When Danielle shortly grinned he regained some of his confidence. Abbot let go of his shoulder and quietly left the room, after receiving an 'okay' signal from Harley. "My sweet baby princess…" he whispered to himself.

Danielle let more tears cascade down her face as she walked fully up to her father and embraced him, pressing the side of her face against his chest, a quiet mixture of laughter and sobs exiting her.

Joker, despite being cuffed, was able to wrap his arms around her and bring her close to him. He chuckled and leaned down to her ear, whispering softly, "You okay sweetheart?" Danielle nodded against his chest with her greatest smile yet, her tears multiplying in happy numbers, and Joker was incredibly loving in his tone, "Happy birthday DD."

Danielle pulled her face away from his chest but still hugged him, letting her eyes travel up to his and stopping there as she searched unknowingly in his purple hues.

Joker let his glance awkwardly change over to Harley and then back to Danielle, "Say something pretty girl," he laughed.

She pushed her face back into his chest and mumbled, "I love you dad."

He rested his cheek against the top of her head and swayed delicately back and forth as he looked at Harley, "I love you too Danielle."

Harley watched a sneaking tear escape from Jokers eye and drizzle down to his chin. She felt an odd stir embark inside her, the view of the man she loved and the girl they created together embracing was a wake up call to her. She still loved him…even if she was Harleen Quinzel and not Harley Quinn, The Joker was the father of her child, and she loved him for that. Damn it, she knew this was going to happen.

Joker smiled at her and she politely smiled back, hating the intensifying stir that was produced when he smiled that malicious grin. He mouthed to her, not letting any sound out of him as he still hugged his daughter, _"Hi Harley."_

"_Hey,"_ she mouthed back, feeling silly that she didn't just outright say hi to him normally.

"Dad," Danielle pulled away finally being able to control her gleeful tears, "I brought you something, are you hungry?"

He removed his arms from around her and nodded, "I'm starved to be honest."

"Good, because I got you your favorite. Come on, sit down with us."

As he made his way to the empty chair, he commented on his daughter rather proudly, "Dannie, you grew up…better than I could have ever imagined," he took his seat and marveled at her as she too sat and revealed a tote bag filled with various items, "you look like your mother."

"Well," she smiled, "for the most part yes. But I have your eyes of course, and lets not forget this smile."

Harley managed to let out a short laugh with the both of them; it was amazing how comfortable the three of them felt together. Almost like Joker had never left in the first place.

Danielle pulled out a Happy Meal bag and set it in front of her father, "There ya go, one happier meal than what you get here I'm sure." She noticed that he didn't really look too eager on eating, although she knew he was hungry, "You don't have to eat it right now if you don't want. We can just talk, that's why we came, to talk."

"I missed you girls…so much," he rested his chin into his hands and smiled at the both of them. He then directed his view at Danielle, "I'm sorry for not being there baby princess…I just thought that-"

"Dad, I know. I'm not mad at you, I know why did what you did…and I love you for that."

"You're not angry?"

"No of course not!" she pushed the meal bag to the side and scooted her chair closer to the table, "You didn't want me to get hurt, because you knew that I wanted to become like you. You hoped that maybe…by not being around…you wouldn't influence me. You hoped that by going to Arkham, you could have a chance at me living a safer life. How could I be angry at my father for wanting me to be safe?"

"You're such a bright girl," he laughed in relief that she understood why he left.

Harley rubbed the back of Danielle's neck sweetly, "She's a very smart girl. But we've always known that."

"So, word is that you've gone 'sane' Harley," Joker edgily brought up.

Harley moistened her lips, "Yes. You've heard correctly."

"Ah," he looked back to Danielle who was smugly smiling just like her father, "so that must mean you have to go to school DD?"

"First day I was sent to school, I punched a girl and knocked some of her teeth out. Needless to say, the government and state prefer that I be homeschooled after that incident. Which in my opinion is a grand occurrence, I hate the school system. All that lecturing and teaching…its beyond boring and I can't help but want to goof off in class."

Joker smiled and looked over at Harley again, "Where have you been living at?"

"Dannie and I are staying at the Grove apartments."

"Apartments?" his smile changed into a concerned straight line, "Why apartments?"

Harley folded her hands and hid them underneath the table, "Not many people want to hire an ex Harley Quinn to work for them. I was lucky enough to be able to get the job I have now. It's hard, I'm not going to lie to you…the rent and bills are hard to keep up on."

"Hmm…" he strolled away from the topic for the time being and took interest in the large tote bag on the table, "What's in the bag?"

"Oh," Danielle grabbed the bag and searched through it, "when you left to take care of Oswald, I drew you a picture for when you got back…" she pulled the folded piece of paper out and handed it over to her father, "Though that's not the only thing in the bag, just some show and tell is all."

Joker took hold of the paper and unfolded it, pressing it flat against the table, smoothing out the old wrinkles it held. His unique smile appeared for only a moment, until it casually subsided and his eyes moved back up to Danielle and Harley, "I'm sorry for leaving…"

"Hey," Harley spoke up, not really understanding why she felt the need to speak up, but nonetheless she did, "you were doing what you thought was best."

Danielle gave her mother a shocked expression but grinned, happy with her mother trying to understand, "Dad?"

"Yes sweet Dannie?"

She smiled at the 'sweet Dannie' but continued, "I don't really now how to bring this up, but…you left to keep me safe…to keep me from becoming like you. Well, it didn't work, dad. I want to be like you, I want to be," she looked over her shoulder to make sure that no one was listening in, "a villain…"

"Dannie," he sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking up at Harley for help who quietly had her hand over her mouth and eyes directed away from the conversation, "enough of that."

"Enough of that? You know as well as I do that you hate being in here…you hate, loathe, despise being locked up in Arkham and away from what you love to do. I'm the same way dad…I am so sick of sitting in my room, trying my best to stay away from what I was _born_ to do. Please dad…please I've waited for more than ten years for you to break out of Arkham. I gave up on you coming back on your own, so now I'm asking you to come back, and show me how to use this mind you gave me. Please, I want you to show me dad."

He licked the corner of his lips and sighed at the burdened thought, "Can you give me a few minutes to talk to your mother?"

She nodded calmly and stood from her seat before walking over to her father and giving him another hug, "I missed you."

She let go of him and left the room, leaving Joker and Harley alone in the visitor area. Joker stood up out of his seat and dragged his chair closer over to where Harley sat. His chair now at the same corner as hers, he sat back down and looked his girl in the eyes, "Come here."

"What?"

"Come here," he repeated, still calm and serene in his gravely tone.

Harley pulled her chair in closer to the table and leaned in towards Joker. He narrowed his eyes and without hesitation, swift and precise, moved along her jaw-line toward her ear, where he whispered as lovingly as he could with his intense voice, "_What's the matter pumpkin_?"

"I don't want her to get hurt," her voice shrill and tender, pitched yet soft and desirable.

He pressed his cheek against hers and she closed her eyes at the presentation of warmth that came from him, "_If I don't come back, will she go out on her own to become like me_?"

"No, she'll let Jasper teach her."

His whispered voice caressed her skin as he lowered himself down to her neck and spoke, "_Who's Jasper_?"

"He's one of the newer major rogues…" she pushed her head in the opposite direction of where he was, trying not to fall back in love with his sweet charisma, "and Danielle's boyfriend."

"_Ah_," he moved quickly to press his forehead against hers, "_Jasper eh? So my baby princess fell in love_?"

"They've never even kissed."

Joker looked down at Harley's lips and then back to her vivid blue eyes, "No?"

"No," a single tear slid down her face, "I don't trust him teaching her. I don't know his methods well enough to be comfortable with him Joker. I know he loves her…but…"

"What are you asking me_ Harley_?" he gently kissed her forehead and he could hear the quickness of her breathing.

"I'm asking you to break out…in order to keep your daughter safe. If she's going to live a life of crime, I want her to learn from the best, someone I know who will keep an eye out for her. I know you would."

Joker maddeningly smiled and wiped away the tear from Harley's cheek, "I _love_ you Harley."

"I'm not Harley Quinn, I'm Harleen Quinzel."

"_I know_," he giggled into her neck with blissful intentions.

Harley hitched in her breathing, "I don't want to love you anymore."

"Shh cupcake," he laughed and held her face in his hands searching for his one true love. "Where's my _Harley Quinn_? Where's my _gorgeous_ and _beautiful_ jester?"

"She died, when you broke her heart," furious eyes burned at his skin.

"Oh!" he chuckled, as he let his lips linger at the corner of hers, "No I don't think she _died_."

"Why not?"

"Because Harl, if she were dead, you wouldn't have put on that damn cotton candy perfume I just can't get enough of."

"That's just a coinciedence Joker."

He smiled and brought his lips just centimeters away from hers, his playful audacity nipping at her soul. But suddenly he gripped her left hand and brought it between their faces so both of them could see it, "Is it a coincidence that you're wearing the ring I gave you eleven years ago on our wedding day?"

She tugged her hand away, not sure how to respond to that question, "Will you break out to keep her safe?"

Joker lifted his right eyebrow alarmingly high and let his tooth filled smile shine like it never had before, "I told you I'd do anything for her…"


	3. Chapter 3

Danielle sighed comfortably as she positioned herself onto the living room couch, "I can't believe we actually got to see him again mom. It's great isn't it?"

"Mmhmm, of course," Harley immediately went to the kitchen and sat down at the dinning table, rummaging through a pile of bills that had been growing for several weeks.

"I mean, he said he'd think about it! He's actually thinking about breaking out and teaching me, at least guiding me."

"Don't think that he'll be staying here Danielle. You know I'm completely against you following in your fathers steps."

The intercom monitor, located at the front door of the apartment, sounded off subtly. Danielle grinned knowing exactly who it was, and pranced eagerly toward the intercom to answer it. She pressed the button on the monitor and produced a high pitched playful voice, "Sweaty and ready hotline, we strive to _stretch_ your limits, how may I help you?"

"Dannie that's disgusting," Harley commented with a giggle.

The voice from the intercom replied with a heavy pant, "Oh! I must have the wrong apartment, but no matter. I've always wanted to give my limits a stretch."

"Well you've come to the right place, tell me your name big fella."

"Jasper," he said in a low seductive tone.

Danielle smiled as she responded, "Jasper huh? That's a nice name."

"Well," he calmly chuckled back, "my girl gets a real nice smile when she hears it."

"A girlfriend!?" Danielle questioned as if in complete and utter shock, "Why, you're basically cheating on her by talking to me!"

"Oh no no no, I'd never cheat on my Dannie."

Danielle teetered in her spot with a childish smirk, "No?"

"It never crossed my mind. She's the only gal for me, the only girl in the world I could talk to. You know…I even love her."

"Jasper?"

"Yes baby love?"

She licked her bottom lip, wanting desperately to step away from where the conversation was leading, "What'd ya get me?"

A somber laugh exited him and he answered back with a warm voice, "Well, if you let me in I'd gladly show you birthday girl."

"Okay!" she hit the entrance button on the monitor and leaned around the corner to see her mother smiling, "Why are you smilin' momma?"

"I like it when you're happy sweetie," was all she said as she scribbled her pen across checks for various payments.

A few quiet moments later and Jasper was tapping his knuckles against the door. Danielle shrieked quietly in joy and opened the apartment door revealing a finely dressed Jasper in his usual blue trench coat, the collar lightly turned up, and his eyes gleaming sharply. Danielle noticed an arrangement of flowers in his hand and she was quick in her acceptance.

"Aww, Jasper you got me flowers!"

As Danielle went to reach for the floral bouquet, he pulled them back and cocked his head in a reprimanding style, "These aren't for you Dannie."

"What?" her mouth fell agape, and she sidestepped out of the way to let Jasper enter her home, "What type of boyfriend are you? Not even getting flowers for your 'girl' on her birthday…" she swatted him playfully yet sternly on the shoulder and waited patiently for an answer.

Jasper cleverly raised his right brow and presented to her a long small velvet covered case, "One who loves you very much." He then left her side and wandered into the kitchen; satisfied with the wide-eyed reaction he was given.

Harley noticed Jaspers entrance into the kitchen and she immediately put down her pen and placed her attention onto him, "Morning Jasper, how are you?"

"Just fine Miss Quinn," his charm played delicately as he offered Harley the mixture of flowers, "these are for you."

"Aw, thank you very much Jasper. They're lovely." she took hold of the bouquet and admired them.

"Oh my weirdo!" Harley and Jasper both turned toward the living room area where Danielle had just recently shouted. They both watched Danielle skip merrily toward them in massive loads of happiness, "This is so beautiful Jasper!"

Danielle pushed her face against his chest and embraced him lovingly. Jasper kissed the top of her head and likewise wrapped his arms around her frame, "Do you like it Dannie love?"

She looked up at him in appreciative amounts of affection, "I love it."

"What did you get sweetie girl?"

She pushed her wrist out to show her mother the new sparkling bracelet she was given. The four card suite symbols, plagued in rich diamonds, wrapped around her wrist in a repetitive pattern, exuberant and elegant in satisfying taste.

"Thank you Jasper," Danielle reached up and placed a warm kiss on his cheek, causing him to smile even more so.

"Look at that!" Harley marveled, "This really is gorgeous."

Jasper, with his gentle fingers, sifted through Danielle's hair in a soothing manner, "Baby love, how about those cartoons?"

"Mom, I'll be in my room okay?"

"Alright sweetie, thank you again for the flowers Jasper."

He gave a courteous nod and pulled away from Danielle before taking hold of her hand. Jasper then led her peacefully down the hall and to her room, where she graciously let go and jumped onto the bed.

Danielle grabbed the remote on her end table and instantly turned the television on to her favorite channel, "Come on Jaspy, sit by me."

He let the right corner of his mouth sidle up his cheek in a half smirk, carefully crawling on the bed, and stopping when was comfortably next to Danielle's side, "Happy birthday baby love."

"Thank you," she turned to him and kissed the corner of his smile, which happily grew in consequence.

"Dannie, you know I got you some other things besides that bracelet. Would you like them now? Or later?"

"You got me more?" she giggled, "How many more?"

"A few…"

She wiggled her toes freely in thought, "How about you give me one every so often."

"Alright Dannie."

Danielle looked down at her wrist to examine the still shimmering bracelet, "I really do love it…" the cartoonish laughter from the television hummed softly behind her words and Jasper sighed in slight disruption.

"You know it would look better on that perfect wrist of yours if you removed that mood ring."

"I'm not taking it off," her once bright tone fell into a harsh accent.

Jaspers gravely voice took a turn into harshness, "He isn't coming back Danielle! The fact that you wear that measly ring-"

"Shut up! Don't you ever…ever! Degrade my father…"

His eyes narrowed at the stern finger that was pointing at him, "Don't point your finger at me like that."

"Oh, sorry…" she pulled her index finger back in and then after a short pause she smiled haughtily and revealed her middle finger, "is this better?"

He growled and snatched her hand with his own in a quick flash. Danielle didn't try in the slightest to pull her hand away, "Dannie love?" he sneered.

"Yes Jasper?" she asked in her sweetest voice.

With his hidden strength he pulled her up onto his lap so that she was straddling him. Danielle herself, laughed soothingly in loving amusement, her eager eyes dancing across his face.

When Danielle pressed her forehead against his own, he let a large gust of air flow out his nose, and he shut his eyes in pure resolution, "_Baby love_…"

"Jasper? Do you love me?" she rubbed her nose against his and then pressed her lips to his cheek in a smirk.

He reopened his eyes and the whites were now stained red. They resembled anger and frustration, but the crisp emerald green of his iris playfully called out in devotion. With a gruff low manner, he answered, "I adore you."

Their lips locked in graceful courage, and they kissed softly despite the rage they were both feeling. Jasper leisurely loosened his hand from Danielle's, and he let both his hands travel up her back in gradual caressing movements. Danielle smiled during the kiss and teasingly squeezed her legs together in her straddling position, which caused Jasper to groan in pain abruptly.

He still continued with the kiss, not wanting to break away, but Danielle opened her eyes and lightly pulled away from his mouth, "Baby what's wrong?"

As she reached down to the area that she squeezed, Jasper grabbed her chin and brought her attention back to him, "Don't worry about it…don't stop."

"But Jasper," she started, although she was soon interrupted by his kissing which was tenderly more passionate this time around.

"_God how I've waited for this_!"

Danielle let her worries subside and she giggled at Jaspers rather humorous comment. She repositioned herself on his lap to become more comfortable; for she too was enjoying her time with the man she was with.

While Danielle moved in her spot, Jasper let out a painful hiss during their play. Danielle pulled away from the kiss instantly and with great concern placed her hand on the outside of his leg, "Jasper what's the matter? Are you hurt?"

"Dannie, I'm fine…" he stroked his fingers through her ponytail, and smiled despite his pain, "Just…just relax beautiful girl."

Not convinced with his words, Danielle pressed her fingers forcefully against his leg, causing Jasper to shut his eyes tightly and moan in agony, "You're fine hmm?"

"Why can't you just kiss me…" he, in defeat, questioned as he lifted Danielle up off of him and set her next to his side, "I had a run in with Batman last night, he cut me up pretty bad in that spot."

"Jasp…why didn't you tell me?" the news hit her strangely, an odd sensation played wildly in her gut and it felt warm and sudden.

He watched Danielle stand up from the bed and he couldn't help but be pleased by the fact that she was worried for him, "I didn't want to ruin your birthday my sweet angel."

"Let me see how bad it is, kay?"

He removed himself from the bed and loosened his slacks, revealing the multiple gashes on his outer thigh.

Danielle's eyes widened in disbelief at how deep they were, "Jasper! Did you even mind to clean them up?"

"I did baby love, but they reopened."

She made a pouty face and looked up at Jasper, "Poor baby."

He swallowed at the tone of her voice, and swiped his tongue quickly over his lips, "It hurts Dannie."

"Aw, do you want me to clean it for you?"

Her soft hands cradled his cheeks and he nodded in a saddened behavior, "Yes baby."

"By the way," she laughed as she guided him out of the room and down the hall towards the bathroom, "I think the boxers you're wearing are cute."

"Cute?"

"Yea! How could it not be cute…you're wearing your villain colors."

He let out his usual raspy laugh as they entered the bathroom. Danielle instantly went to work on cleaning, slightly moving the boxers he was wearing up, to get a better workspace to deal with.

"Ow angel!" he hissed, "Not so hard."

"Don't be a baby."

Jasper placed his hand on top of her head and massaged her scalp, "What colors do you want as a symbol for you?"

"Mmm, I'd like to incorporate my mom's and dad's somehow," she stood up after finishing and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"You wouldn't want to use my colors?"

"I never said that. I've just never thought about it. Red and blue…at least the red is there from my mom. I could do something with green, purple, red, blue, and black."

"You'd confuse Batman with that cluster of colors."

Danielle jumped up into his arms and wrapped her legs around him, "I don't feel like walking back to my room. Will you carry me Jasper?"

"It doesn't seem I have much of a choice does it?" he carried her down the hall with charm, "I have a better idea then just going back to your room baby love."

"What?"

"How about we get you some ice cream?"

* * *

**Sorry for the delay guys...and sorry this chapter is so short...but it's important.**

**Life has been crazy as of late, I anticipate by May 13th things will be back to normal and I'll start posting chapters up weekly again. Thank you guys for being so patient! Love you all!**

**Next chapter will be MUCH MUCH MUCH longer. Yay!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jasper pulled his car up in front of the local ice cream parlor and sweetly turned to Danielle, "You go on in, I'll be right behind you kay?"

"Alright," she unbuckled her seatbelt and gently opened the door before looking back to Jaspers hurt leg, "next time you have a run in with Batman, let me know?"

Jasper bowed his head slightly in gruesome agitation, "Why?"

"What do you mean why? Because I care about you and I want to know when you're hurt! You shouldn't keep things from me, especially stuff like that."

"So why are you keeping something from me?"

Danielle closed the door and felt unreliably tender at the gruffness in his tone, "I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Don't give me that shit!" he violently forced the palm of his hand against the steering wheel, "I told you not to see your father…"

It was completely shocking at how quick his manner and behavior had turned. So sweet and innocent, his smile burning against her eyes in merry amounts, and now it was so hard and strict, unrelenting and cruel. How could it be so chillingly likeable? "How did you know I went and saw my dad today?"

His solemn eyes traveled listlessly towards her, an angered but feathered tone residing within them. He didn't respond after his defining look, all he managed to do, with stiffened and annoyed movements, was to remove himself from the car and proceed to the parlor.

Danielle herself exited the vehicle and hurriedly followed behind his fast paced gate, "Jasper! How did you know?"

He pushed his fisted hands into his pockets and continued his walk, and persisted to ignore her question.

"Jasper!" she screamed in her own fury, "Don't ignore me!"

As soon as she caught up to his side Jasper snatched her upper arm but remained on his walking course, "Baby love…don't raise your voice to me."

"You're hurting my arm. Let go."

"Why should I do what you ask, if you won't do what I ask?"

"Why are you so jealous of him! He's my father! Of course I'm going to try with all my might to see him! I didn't know I had to announce to you that I went and saw him, I told you I was yesterday!"

Jasper stopped and fiercely pulled her in front of him so that Danielle's stomach pressed against his own, "Listen to me…" he purred in his devilish raspy tone, "I'm warning you for the last time…if you ever make the horrid response of saying that I'm jealous of your father again…"

"What? What would you do to me?" she purred right back with a hasty grin.

The whites of his eyes were dinged with a reddish hue, and his brows sunk to a maddening angle. He squeezed her arm with greater force and then let go with a hefty sigh, "Let's just go inside."

He could change his mood so quickly, and she loved every bit of it. It was like a unique magical talent, those superior moods that captivated her heart so willingly. Danielle reached up to his cheek and placed a caring kiss upon it, "Kay."

Jasper took her by the hand and shook it in a plea for her to forgive his brutal actions, and she responded wonderfully by leaning her head against his shoulder as they walked.

"I didn't mean to squeeze your arm that hard."

"I know, it's okay."

After looking down and away from Danielle in the consuming frustration with himself and how he presented his actions, Jasper graciously opened the steel framed door leading into the parlor and allowed her access before him.

"What would you like baby love?" Jasper directed her to an unoccupied seat and once she took the offer, he sifted his fingers through her hair as he waited patiently for her answer.

She looked sweetly back up at him, "Just a scoop of mint chocolate chip…I love that stuff."

"That's it?" he questioned, "It's your birthday Dannie…get at least two."

"No, one is fine," she stretched her back over the chair and rubbed her stomach slowly, "I bet you wouldn't like me if I were fat."

Jasper lightheartedly chuckled as he approached the cashier, "I would still like you Dannie."

As she waited for Jasper to return to her side, she fidgeted with her fingers in puzzling thought. Random but meaningful questions crossed her mind in a blurring fizz, something she was beginning to become quite accustomed to.

At first, in her younger years, the thoughts had been quiet and out of place, only truly consisting of her family and having fun, and just being a kid. But now those quiet thoughts bloomed into a rushing frenzy of everything around her. Everything she saw, heard, smelled, felt…it all lingered in her mind, just waiting to be put to use if the time should ever come. All of them selectively placed somewhere into the back of her brilliant brain, and all of them watched the toiling clock tick by until their time came to be used in one of her many cunning schemes she had at hand.

Though all weren't necessarily random, most in fact consisted of Harley and Joker and the present time.

She worried heavily at the thought of the piling and multiplying bills that were scattered across the tables in her apartment. Worried that her mother wouldn't be able to handle the load of stress that stretched across her small shoulders much longer. Even though deep down she knew Harley was strong…she didn't like the way things were happening.

As Danielle readjusted her sitting, her thoughts fluttered to her father. It had been amazing to finally see him again, still strong and so sure of himself…like he had never left, like there was nothing wrong in the world. The mere fact that he gave Danielle a 'maybe' to the question if he'd break out or not was at the least reassuring. She had a chance to make her family whole, she had a chance to be with the two people who influenced her, she had a chance to be happy again…truly one hundred percent happy.

"Damn…" a voice pierced her dreaming thoughts back into reality, "you are one fine lookin' girl sweet stuff."

Danielle made eye contact with the abruption and took note to what looked like a loathsome nineteen or twenty year old boy with a shaggy goatee and sideburn combo. The stranger took a seat at her table and she was fast in her kind response, "Sorry, I'm already taken."

"By who?" the man looked over his shoulder and noticed Jasper still standing at the counter paying for his order, "That guy? Oh baby…I'm sure you'd get a lot more action from me."

"Heh, I'm not looking for _that_ kind of action," she smiled in amusement and folded her hands in her lap.

The man, from his seat, extended his arm out to Danielle's thigh and roughly trailed his hand across it, "What type of action you lookin' for sweet stuff?"

"Jasper!" Danielle shouted as she jerked away from the unwanted touch.

Jasper looked over his shoulder, and seeing the new man sitting at the table with Danielle, had angered him to an uncanny amount. He set his items down on the counter and hurriedly approached Danielle's side, "What the hell is going on?"

"Nothin' man," the stranger stood up and waved his hands in front of him dismissingly with a smile, "you're girl was lookin' a little lonely. Doesn't look like you're pleasing her enough, thought I'd give her a real ride."

Jasper placed his hand on the back of Danielle's neck and soothingly stroked his finger across it, "Excuse me?" his voice turned harsh and unrelenting.

"You heard what I said, wanna start somethin'? Huh?" he stretched his arms out to his side, desperately trying to impress anyone around him.

"Not particularly, no," Jasper helped Danielle up to her feet and smiled charmingly at her, "How about we head back to your home and take our ice cream to go huh Dannie?"

"Ah come on man! Come on!" the man called out as he watched the two of them grab their items and begin to leave the store, "Let's fight! Let me impress your girl by kicking your ass!"

Jasper smiled and looked back at the stranger, "Don't tempt me to hurt you."

"Tempt? Tempt? You can't be kidding, you actually think you can hurt me? Come on, I want to show your girl what real action is."

With a huff of amusement, Jasper looked down at the lovely and happy Danielle that was by his side, "Dannie love…what did this fowl mouthed fellow say to you?"

"It wasn't what he said," she replied with a smirk, "It was what he did."

He tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes, fully becoming infuriated by the knowledge of knowing that this man did something physically to upset his girl, "What did he do?"

The change in Jaspers voice, once calm and normal, was now a deep and raspy challenge. It alarmed the man who was eager to fight, and he took a reluctant step back, but then steadied himself, not wanting to look cowardly in his approach, "Come on, stop stallin'! Are you man enough? Or are you just gonna stand there and-"

"Hold on!" Jasper bellowed as he threw a stern finger in the air and pointed it deathly at his new enemy. "Baby," he turned back to Danielle and repeated his question with the longing roughness still present in his enunciation, "what…did he do?"

"He ran his hand along my thigh," she smiled inwardly.

The way his eyes turned into an irritated red tint, the way his nose scrunched into a frenzied manner, and the way his breathing turned stern and quick, were small examples of how lovely his aura was. The underlining strength of his character was something that Danielle cherished beyond a doubt; it relinquished her mood into pure joy.

Jasper turned his view back to the man and hunched his shoulders up in rage, "You did what to her?"

"You heard her, I bet she even enjoyed it…my hand caressing her tired thigh…I bet she was just aching for-"

With a ferocious roar Jasper set his shake down on a nearby table and then balled his fists to his sides, "I told you not to tempt me!"

The strangers eyes grew wide in shock as Jasper approached him with alarming speed. He managed to make a hasty decision and grab a chair, ultimately swinging with all his strength at Jasper.

His rapidity at dodging the oncoming chair was remarkable, as Danielle conceitedly noted. Jasper, after he avoided the chair, swiftly twirled around the man and wrapped his arm around the victim's neck. It was so ferociously fierce, so viciously concentrated, and so extremely _fervent_.

She'd never felt that way in all her life.

As he constricted the mans throat with one arm, Jasper with his free hand grasped onto the strangers chin and chillingly spoke into his ear, "You know…I could break your neck right now if it really pleased me. The thing is…it doesn't please me unless it makes her happy. So, Dannie love? Would snapping this fellows neck make you happy?"

"Please lady! I didn't mean anything, I was just messin around ya know…right?"

She smiled and took a seat, noticing that the clerk had just gotten off the phone, most likely phoning the police, "Jasper, it would make me very happy!"

"Well then," he chuckled into his ear, "you heard my girl. I'm a man who likes to make her happy, it's my _job_ after all."

"No…please!"

Jasper slammed the mans face into a table with his unseen strength repeatedly, "Hold on!" he smiled, "I want to make sure you feel some real action first!"

He continued in his brutal spree as the splatters of blood and spit splashed up onto his own face, not minding a bit as the victim moaned in agonizing pain. A hurried frenzy of running clerks scurried towards the exits, not wanting to become a victim of the crazed man who was beating civilians senseless, and Danielle silently sat with a wide pleased smile.

"How dare your filthy hands touch her! You're not fit to even glance at her!" Jasper pulled the man back upright and tediously twisted his neck in order to snap it.

A screeching terror of overwhelming pain plummeted from the mans mouth, but soon a snapping crunch finally ceased the horrendous scream, causing a subtle and still silence to float generously about the room.

As Jasper let the now dead figure drop to the floor with a heavy thud, he glanced over at Danielle with a disdainful expression. A short police siren sounded and Jasper was quick to respond. He jogged over to Danielle and grabbed her hand and immediately pulled her up out of her chair and towards the exit.

"Looks like we'll be taking this to go!" Danielle shouted in a laugh, holding her ice cream in the air proudly.

"Now is not the time to be cracking jokes! If the cops see me with you they'll take you in for questioning!"

"Not if we get away!" she continued to laugh at the hilarity of what was happening.

The two both entered the car quickly and Jasper was foolish in his retort, "Sure if we get away we'd be fine, but if they even catch a glimpse of you with me Danielle they'll go straight to your apartment and start questioning you! You need to understand when the right and wrong times for playing are!"

"It was just one joke! It wasn't like I was just standing there…"

"It's not about the jokes Dannie…I don't care if you make jokes or not…"

She looked over at him and waited for him to proceed, but seeing that he wasn't going to, she asked for herself, "What do you care about?"

He let out a lengthy sigh in relief as he pulled the car into an abandoned alleyway. A scamper of cop cars flew by in the rearview mirror, obviously not seeing where he went, and he turned to Danielle with heavy eyes, "When you went to Arkham, did you ask your father if he'd break out for you?"

"Yes."

"Alright," he covered his face with his hands, "what did he say?"

"Well when I asked him he didn't really say anything, he just asked to talk to my mom. And then after when I came back he said he'd think about it."

"Did your mother say anything about the conversation they held?"

"No," she reached out to his hand and grabbed it, "why?"

He shook his head and soothingly stroked the palm of her hand, "Did you mention anything about me to your father?"

"Jasper, what's the matter?"

"Did you mention me!?"

"No I didn't mention you!" she screamed and then shoved a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth to keep her anger caged a little longer. She noticed Jaspers eyes move to her ice cream and became aware to the fact that he wasn't able to grab his shake before they left, "Aw, you want some Jasper?"

A spoon full of minty cream was pushed toward him and he opened his mouth and waited for his dairy treat.

"Wait," she giggled and pulled the spoon slightly away, "what's my favorite color?"

His eyes rolled, "You have so many favorites Dannie love."

"Say them, or you don't get ice cream."

Jasper chuckled a sigh, "Purple, green, red, black, and blue…okay?"

"Okay!" and she shoved the spoon into his mouth, a bright happy smile present on her all the while. "Now say mmmm Jasper."

"I don't want to."

She slid up to his ear and whispered, "_Do it_."

"Do I have to baby love?"

"Yes. Because you said you'd do anything for me…as long as it makes me happy."

"Will it make you happy then?" he asked and Danielle nodded with a yes. "Okay then…mmmm."

"Say it like you mean it!" she made a proud fist and shook it in the air.

Jasper looked back at the ice cream in the cup and then back to Danielle, "I'm going to need another spoonful for it to be meaningful Dannie."

She exhaled noisily in defeat, "Fine, here you go. Silly."

As Jasper received his second helping, he gripped the steering wheel with both hands and tightly closed his eyes in overwhelming ecstasy, "Mmmm, that is intensely satisfying!"

Danielle huffed out a healthy laugh at how much he put into his role, "Thank you."

"Ready to head on home birthday girl?"

"Yes…I want presents. Do you think my mom will have some for me to open when we get back?"

"I'm sure she'll have something," he reached over and gave Danielle a kiss on her cheek before starting his way back to her apartment.

It was a short drive back to the Grove apartment buildings, and Danielle hopped out of her seat and immediately bolted toward the entrance to the establishment.

"Hold on baby love!" Jasper laughed as he too hurried toward the entrance. "Wait for me…damn you're quick."

"But there might be presents in there!"

Jasper caught up to her and lovingly grabbed her arm; twirling her into his embrace casually, "Wait just a minute."

"I don't want to wait!" she giggled and squirmed in his strong arms, "I want presents!"

"You want a present?" he still held her with one arm while he reached into his coat pocket with the other, "I've got another one for you if you'd like it now."

Her squirming immediately stopped and she tapped her feet against the cold ground excitedly, "Gimme please!"

He pulled the present out and presented it to her. She calmly took hold of it and smiled as she unwrapped it. As she finally uncovered the wrapped gift, a magnificent shine glistened from it, a small silver box that could easily be opened.

Danielle looked up at Jasper and he pushed a lock of hair away from her eyes and behind her ear, "Open it up baby."

She lifted the lid as Jasper wrapped his arms around her waist, and subsequently a memorable melody exited from the small silver music box. A tune that struck her senses and emotions and took them for a ride like never before, "This is from The Nutcracker…Swan Lake…"

"You always loved The Nutcracker right? I saw it and thought of you, do you like it?"

An unyielding memory crashed into her mind, the wonderful time she had had at the ballet with her parents together was pure bliss. And how she wanted for that time, that incredible time to be back here with her, back with Harley and Joker…a family.

"Danielle?" Jasper ran his hand across her cheek, "Dannie are you alright?"

"I love it, it just reminded me of the past…"

He sympatheticaly grasped her chin and lifted it up toward him, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Thank you," and she reached up and kissed him kindly on the lips.

"Danielle, you should come with me. You won't ever be sad again I promise. I guarantee you'll be the greatest villain of all time, you just have to say yes. I know you don't like to hear this…but your father isn't coming back. If he really loved you, he would have left the moment you asked him to leave Arkham."

"I have to give him a chance…I can't just-"

"Dannie…"

She wasn't aware that a tear had escaped from her, but when Jasper wiped it away with his thumb she sighed in a stressful state, "If he doesn't break out within a week, then I'll go with you. That's the best I can do Jasper."

"You mean that baby love?"

Danielle listened to the song with great concentration, the cheering notes piercing her soul in all the right ways, "Yes."

"Dannie," he gave her a warm hug and whispered into her ear now, "_I love you, and I'll wait forever, if that's what it takes, to hear you say it back to me._"

After a moment, they both walked into the building and to her apartment suite. Along the way Danielle mumbled a question, "Forever?"

"If that's what it takes baby love."

"And what happens when I say it? What does it really accomplish?"

They stopped in front of her suite and Jasper tilted his head to the side, "Accomplish…well I'm not for certain. But I'll most likely cry Danielle, I know it sounds funny, but I wouldn't put something that meaningful past me."

"Then Jasper…one day, you'll cry."

He smiled and opened the door for her, and soon the two were both inside, greeted cheerily by a loud hooray of cheers.

"Happy birthday Danielle! Surprise!"

She stood still in contemplation, Jaspers hands placed on her shoulders from behind, and his sweet gravely tone nipped at her neck, "Surprise love of my life."

A steady smile took place over her confused one, and she looked around at the few personal guests that had come, "Ivy? Eddie? Harv? No way…" she looked over at her mother who was standing up from her seat, "You told me you didn't talk to them anymore mom."

Ivy stood up from her seat and excitedly gave Danielle a hug, "You look just like your mother! Oh Dannie it's great to see you!"

"You too Ivy…I'm sorry, it's just a bit of a shock you know."

She smiled and played with Danielle's hair, "Oh that's alright, I understand."

"I've talked to them off and on, here and there. I didn't want the government and state happening to see me with them and think I was faking my saneness," Harley mentioned as she poured Danielle and Jasper something to drink.

"Oh," Danielle looked over at Riddler and Two Face and smiled as she went over to greet her guests. Jasper went to the kitchen to help Harley prepare a series of drinks, letting Danielle greet on her own.

Two Face and Riddler both gave Danielle a hug, "Great to see you again Danielle, its been forever."

"You too Eddie, I missed you guys a lot, you both look great!"

Harvey patted Danielle's shoulder with his strong hand, "You grew missy, not so little anymore. How tall are you?"

She smiled enjoying her time extensively, "About six feet tall! Can you believe it?"

"I can believe it," he chuckled and took a sip of his drink, "got that from your father no doubt."

"Yea," she said with just a hint of sorrow, "from dad."

"I didn't mean anything by it Dannie, I didn't mean to cut open your scar."

She shook her head, "It's fine, I just miss him is all. Hopefully someday he'll come back home."

"Miss who?"

"Dad," Danielle responded, not sure who had asked, Harley or Ivy, all she knew was that it came from behind her. Her mind was once again drifting to distant memories, more so than others was the time when the three of them played out in the snow.

It had been so great, everyone was laughing and smiling. Everyone was happy…and then that horrid gun shot…and she and her mother left. It was confusing at the time, and now not so much, but it still hurt…it hurt to leave. Hurt to be away from her dad.

"Why should you miss him if you just saw him this morning baby princess?"

It was enough to snap her back into reality and she twirled around with wide pleading eyes, "Dad?"

He stood, still in his Arkham uniform, broken cuffs still tied around his wrists, and his smile happy and welcoming, "Who else?"

Danielle ran to Joker and jumped into his embrace, screaming and crying into his chest happily, "You broke out! You broke out! Thank you!"

Harley stepped out of the kitchen and watched the reunion occur, "Double surprise sweetie."

Ivy, Two Face, and Riddler all smiled in content with how joyous Danielle was. And Jasper stood with his glass at hand, constricting it more and more as his anger grew.

"I knew you'd break out of Arkham! I knew you would!" she hugged him tighter and he wheezed at her strength.

"Easy…Dannie!"

"Sorry," she let go with a smirk and dried her face with the back of her hand, but soon couldn't stand the fact that she wasn't hugging her father, and she continued in her ranting squeeze.

"Dannie! I love you too, now let go!"

"No!"

He laughed and kissed her forehead, just as pleased to be with his daughter again. Loving the intense truth that he was finally with the two people he had ever loved...

A splintering shatter broke the happy bond of Joker and Danielle, and all looked toward the kitchen to where Jasper stood, an aura of pure adrenaline radiating from him.

"Jasper, what did you do?" Danielle went over to him and grabbed his hand, which was littered with glass shards, "Did you break your glass?"

"I'm…I'm going to go home okay?"

She looked over her shoulder at the audience they had and then turned back to Jasper and whispered quietly, "What's the matter?"

"I just want to go home Dannie."

Danielle heard the sterness in his voice and understood it was his final decision, "Alright, but I'd wish you'd stay for just a little while. At least meet my dad."

"Trust me, we're aquainted," Jasper pulled a shard out of his hand with no grimmace of pain indicated in his expression. As he moved toward the exit, still a bitter silence within the apartment, he felt Danielle's hand grab his elbow.

"Jasper at least let me clean your hand."

He looked Joker straight in the eyes and scowled in fury as Joker gave him a malicious grin. He glanced down at Danielle, then back up to Joker providing his own spiteful smile right back at him, "I'll call you later Dannie love, happy birthday."

Jasper then held Danielle's chin carefully and brought his lips to hers, never taking his eyes away from Jokers. He kissed her fervently, enjoying the arrousingness of Danielle's young lips against his own, and the splendid fact that Jokers smile was slowly dissapearing and growing into an angry glower.

Joker growled and jumped into action at the disturbing kiss. He forced his way over to Jasper and brutally seperated the two of them, ramming Jaspers back against the door, and constricting his throat with both of his hands, "You've gone a bit too far with that eh Jasper?"

"She didn't seem to mind," he smiled out a response, just in time for Joker to slam the back of his head against the door.

"Dad! Stop! What are you doing!?"

Joker growled into Jaspers ear, "I mind!" and violently dropped him to the floor, where upon Danielle grasped Jaspers face.

"Are you okay Jasper? What happened?"

"Joker! What the hell are you doing! Why on earth would do that?" Harley hit his shoulder forcefully and he grabbed her wrist, looking her stern in the eyes with a proud smile.

"You hit me again cupcake, you'll end up on the floor too."

Jasper stood up from his spot and cracked his neck, "Well…nice to meet you as well, now if you don't mind Dannie, I'll be leaving," he opened the door and left, not waiting for a goodbye.

"Jasper wait!" the door slammed shut and she turned around back toward her guests who all stood edgily alert, "What the hell was that all about dad!? That was a tad sudden!"

"I think we should be going," Ivy motioned at Riddler and Two Face and they both nodded in agreement, "Don't worry Dannie, we'll be seeing you soon kay? Happy birthday."

Harley, Joker, and Danielle all stood in their spots as the three of their friends left. Danielle looked up at Joker and then at Harley, "I'm going to go to my room for a little bit. I think I may just go to bed, alright? I'm a little shocked at what just occurred…I mean really dad, you've only shown yourself for five minutes and you already tried to kill my boyfriend."

Her mother hugged her and gave her a kiss, "Alright baby girl, I understand. If you want to open your presents just let me know before you do."

"Night mom," she looked over at Joker and sighed, "dad."

The reality of what he had done set in and he felt horrible that he ruined her birthday, "Dannie?"

She stopped on her route to her room, "Can we talk in the morning?"

"...I suppose."

Harley rubbed the side of her face as Danielle closed the door to her room, "Care to explain your sudden need to beat up your daughters boyfriend?"

"Is that not enough for a father to beat up on someone? The mere fact that they're going out with their daughter?"

"No it's not…and that's not funny."

"No one asked if it was funny, it wasn't meant to be a joke," he kicked at the floor boards and made his way to the couch, sitting down with a relieved huff, "he looked at me."

"You're telling me that you strangled him because he looked at you?"

His eyes rolled around in concentrated thought, "Yes."

"You're crazy!"

"You already knew that," he grabbed the remote for the television and flipped aimlessly through the channels.

She shook her head in disbelief, "Why did I ask you to break out of Arkham? I should have never fell into Danielle's sorrow filled speech. Dammit!"

"You asked me to break out because you want Dannie to be happy again, she's not happy."

"She is too."

"No she's not."

"Yes she is!"

"Nope."

"She is very happy! I've been taking very good care of her, trying my hardest to make her as happy as possible! I don't need you to show up eleven years later and tell me I've been doing a horrible job!"

"_Don't be yelling all night!_" Danielle shouted from her room.

Harley hid her face in her hands and let her shoulders drop. The gust of stress overwhelming her entire soul was a feeling she didn't want to intrude upon. A moment later and she felt two strong hands take hold of her shoulders, but she jerked away, "Don't touch me!"

"Now, now, none of that," he smiled and took hold of her upper arms.

"I don't appreciate you coming back and ruining our daughters birthday, hurting her boyfriend, even though I don't trust him, and then telling me I've done a bad job in raising her! And I really don't like the fact that you're touching me after I told you not to!"

"Harley," he adjusted his hands on her arms and casually made her walk backwards until her back was up against the wall, "I never said you raised her badly."

"Let go of me please."

Joker took a step closer to her and looked down into her eyes, "You raised her wonderfully, she's healthy, she's got a roof over her head, she's bright and charismatic. Harley, you're a great mother, you raised her better than I would have if I were in your shoes."

"Then why are you saying she isn't happy?"

He rubbed his hand underneath her cheek and softly replied with his charming voice, "Because she isn't, and that is not your fault. That's mine."

"I'm…I've had a long day…I think I'll be going to go to bed," she slipped out from his hold and headed toward her bedroom with Joker right on her heels, "what are you doing?"

"I'm going to bed with you," he said as if it were plain common sense.

Harley smiled, "Heh, no. You remember that couch ya were sittin on? That's you're new friend, go and introduce yourself."

He raised his brow and sighed, "Can I get a kiss goodnight?"

"No," and she closed the door in his face.

Joker let out a soft chuckle and turned on his heel, making his way back to the couch. He took a seat and looked down at the cushion beside him with a sincere grin, "Nice to meet you. I have a hunch, that you and I are going to get to know one another pretty well."

* * *

**Woo happenings! By the way, check out JokersGirls the writer here on fanfic...it's a profile for the writer Alex Snap and I! We are going to write more stories together, so check it out and add us to your favs list if your really enjoy our stories! Thanks.**

**And don't forget to comment on this story of course...the more reviews I get, the more I'm apt to get the next chapter up quickly! So..._"Do it...do it now!"_**

_Hope you all are enjoying, yay Jokers back! I missed writing him :(_

_Hehe..._


	5. Chapter 5

**Song listened to: Poltergeist main theme (piano)**

**Chapter 5**

"_The evil's within her…"_

He awoke in a startling haze. Eyes sore and blushed with strict red veins, heart racing in a fright, and his mind working at an implausible rate.

Joker caught his breath and glanced around him, taking in his unsure surroundings. A static filled television screen was his only light source and it casted brilliantly against the surfaces of the apartment living room.

As he wiped a bead of sweat away from his brow, he tried to pull his legs out from the couch he was laying on, but soon realized that he had been secured to his spot. He looked down the length of his body toward his feet and noticed that a soft blanket had been placed over him. He continued on his trail and smiled as the light casted halfway across Danielle's sleeping face.

She was snuggly fitted into the pocket between his legs and the back of the couch, her head on his hip, and her hands delicately located under her soft cheek.

Joker quietly reached his hand out to her sleeping form, and stroked his hand across her hair, making sure not to wake her up in a fright. It had been a shock to wake up to the acknowledgement of his sweet daughter nestled warmly by his side. He was splendidly glad that she wasn't upset at him for his earlier doings. In fact he was simply amazed, as he petted her hair in tender strokes, at how much she had grown, at how much he had missed. It hurt to be away from her, and now that he was finally back, it hurt more to realize the significance of his absence.

He vigilantly placed his hand underneath her head to support her as he himself stood up from the couch. With his sturdy arms he lifted her up fully, still trying to be graceful in his approach, and selectively cradled her tired body to his chest.

As he made his way to her room, he reflected on the past and how Danielle would secretively fall asleep while they watched movies. He remembered picking up her small frame and smiling as he would place her into bed. Her warm smile appearing as he would rest the blankets over her and leave a protective kiss on her forehead. Speaking softly in his natural pitch, '_night sweet baby princess'_.

Still managing to hold his loving daughter, Joker pulled back the blankets on her bed and then tediously placed her down. He pulled the covers back up over her and she rolled towards him, eyes still closed, still breathing in a sleepy relaxed behavior. The carpet to her bedroom gave slightly as he knelt down upon it, and with his hand he reached out to Danielle's face and devotedly pushed a stray strand away from her eyes. She was so beautiful, so cleverly created…

Joker wiped tears from his sore eyes before they could fully take flight away from him, battling with the endless questions that wracked his furious mind. How could he have missed eleven whole years from this precious girl? How could he have left? Even when it _was _for the best…how could he have left his beautiful child's side? This vivacious gorgeous girls side! And she had the splendid notion of still becoming a villain, to be just like him. After all he had done, his sweet baby girl still loved him more than ever.

How could he have left?

He kissed her forehead, silly tears running down his cheeks, "Night my sweet baby princess. I'm sorry for leaving you, but I'm here now…" he took a lengthy pause and toned down his words after steadying his shaky voice, "and I promise I'll never leave you again. I'm not going to miss out on anymore of your life. Daddy's here princess." With a sensitive kiss once again placed on her warm temple, he stood up and nodded in a motivated way, determined to make her happy again, "Daddy's here."

Joker left the room, dragging his finger along the rough texture of the wall in the hallway, and stopped when he reached Harleys room. The longing in his chest constricted at the closeness of her endearing soul. Joker pressed his forehead against the door and closed his eyes tightly, letting his fingers somehow trail onto the doorknob and took hold of it, desiring so much to just enter and sit by her soothing figure.

For a moment, a remembrance of her beautiful conspicuous laughter entered his thoughts. Hers and his, mixing into such a desirable melody, her bright baby blues dancing in ecstasy as he would hold her tight and twirl her in undeniable joy. It melted his pounding heart every time.

"I would have never left, if I knew you wouldn't want to love me anymore Harl."

Desolately, he let go of the doorknob and took an uneasy step backwards, pushing his back up against the wall so his eyes still fell onto the small barrier that closed him out from the single person that had given him a chance in this cruel world.

His jaw strained in a closed position, and his blinking ran to an empty aloneness. She was right there, right behind that door, and for some unexplainable reason he felt the need to be cautionary, hesitant in going in there and just holding her, bringing back that lovely harlequin he knew she was deep down.

Obviously it was entirely silly, the thought of not being able to go in there because he might be punished in some absolute way. Even then it wasn't like Harley could take away his cookie privileges, or send him to his room. He was The Joker for crying out loud! He could do what he pleased…

With his thoughts in order, he pushed forward and grabbed the handle again, sure in his actions and ready to love his girl. After turning the knob halfway, he stopped and lowered his brows, once again becoming uncertain in his doings, what if Harley got mad at him?

The hell if she got mad at him! He cleared his throat and popped his neck, after taking a deep momentary sigh. He turned the knob fully and entered reticently, immediately being filled with the greatest sense of well being in his chest as he saw the most beautiful manifestation lying there on the bed. She was covered from the hip down, her hair in a loose pony tail and sprawled across the pillow she was using, delicate hands placed gracefully by her cheek, and eyes dusted with a somber sleep.

He walked to the empty side of the bed, running his hand along the sheets as he went, never taking his eye away from the sleeping jester. He then lifted the sheets and furtively slid himself in by her side, the bed only creaking slightly in its give. His heart beating uncontrollably, palms moist from his unsteady nerves, but he managed to lay comfortably a few inches away from her back.

As his heart slowed in its pounding, he closed his eyes, finally feeling relaxed as her sacred aura penetrated against his being. It was nice, to finally be this close to the woman he loved without her pushing him away, it was indisputably amorous in this setting.

Leisurely, Harley turned into him and nuzzled warmly into his chest, and his eyes shot open in shock. Yet all the while he was completely accepting of her unknown intentions.

"_My sweet Harley_," he whispered and then tenderly wrapped his arm around her, loving the never-ending affection she produced.

As he rested his chin atop her head, his throat tight and overwhelmed, he smiled peacefully in his extraordinary setting. After eleven years, despite that battle that was directly ahead, he finally felt happy again, finally felt that he was doing the right thing.

**Okay, I understand that this is a short chapter…**

**I'd like to thank you all for the great number of reviews I received for the last chapter, I'd like to hope that you'll all do the same and review for this chapter, even though it is a little one. I do promise, however, that the next chapter will have dialogue and outings and be much more fun. **

**I felt that Joker needed to have some thoughts in all of the questioning and stress that's going on…yes…and I hope you all enjoyed this itty bitty piece.**

**Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

"_Harley…_" he swooned into her ear, breathing calmly and smooth with his own sense of sureness, like a gust of wind to a sail, "_Harley…"_

Bitter tired eyes puttered open to the beat of a flapping birds wing, dizzily swaying to find that charismatic and kingly voice. "Joker?"

"_Close your eyes_," a tendering giggle skittered against her flesh, dagger-like fingers pressed into her neck, and all she desired to do was obey to the simplicity of the laughing command.

So with a great amount of glee, she closed them dreamily, lid coming in contact with lid in a grand quiet shut, "You're supposed to be on the couch."

"_Shh_," fiery lips tickled the lobe of her ear, "_just let things happen, you'll be entirely surprised what occurs_." With her seemingly small amount of protest he flittered his hand away from her throat and pranced it gracefully in a dancing pose to her hip. "_You know Harley, my sweet, you've been rather inappropriate in due terms…you've been increasingly impolite upon my return."_

In an ashamed reaction she turned her head away from his gaze, a shy puppy meeting its new owner for the first time, "I…I didn't mean to be impolite-"

"_But you have been. You know it's true_," he applied a squeezing amount of pressure to her hip and then surprisingly moved his cheek to press next to hers, both of their moist flesh coming together.

"I know it's true, but I'm sorry, I'm really sorry."

"_Sorry? You're really sorry?_" his angered tone questioned."_You've shown me nothing but hostility and strong opposition towards my return!_" he spat as he dug his cheek further into hers, generally clawing his fervent fingers into her meager skin. "_I feel it's my occupation to remind you of _who_ I was before I met you…of _who_ I am now."_

Feeling his body move to a position on top of hers, she felt the urge to open her pleading eyes. And wanting to know exactly what he was going to do she obliged to her will.

"_Keep your eyes closed!" _he roared and smacked the back of his hand forcefully underneath her eye. "_I have to tell you again, and you won't be waking up to the sweet smell of irony, got it!?"_

She nodded and turned away again, brutally mortified at her rule breaking.

He repositioned himself, making sure he was absolutely comfortable in his spot with one leg on either side of her, his groin pressing against her still stomach. Once his stirring calmed, he lifted himself and sat upright with his hands running along the natural curves of her torso, "_Tell me Harley. Tell me why you so desired to shut me out…why you craved, yearned, longed to never love me again. Was it…because I never showed you any affection? How about, protecting you? I mean sure, I've had my blunders, but I've still tried my hardest to make sure you were safe. Was it because I left Harley? Was it because I cried hard at night to make sure that you were incredibly safe? Cried and wailed at the thought of you and Danielle possibly being hurt, while I crouched into the darkest corner of my Arkham cell room, safe and sound? Do you think that I left you, because _I _didn't love you anymore? That I didn't want to be around you anymore? Hmm…was that it!?"_

"No!" she sobbed. "I don't want to love you because you won't let me!"

"_Won't let you?_"

She took a deep breath, allowing all her troubles to bundle inside her and rest, "You keep breaking my heart…you say you won't, but you do." Harley listened to his loud breathing, almost sounding as if he was in total anger, a beast waiting to pounce, and that frightened her. If she could just open her eyes and see what he was doing, see what he was expressing, then she could at least prepare herself. "I don't want my heart to be broken anymore."

"_Harley…_" his voice so suddenly changed, docile and weak, positioned at the tallest peak of an ever standing mountain, overlooking all then beaten and abandoned into a meaningless dissolving grain of worthless sand.

A sudden cool splash hit the corner of her lips, and then selectively it seeped into her mouth. A twirling mixture of salt and agony emerged against her taste buds suddenly, tasting just like a newborn tear, so eager to leave and view the bright and booming world then insignificantly diminish away and never be remembered.

"Don't cry Mistah J…" she squinted her eyes closed further, trying to suppress all her hearts bursting need to love him, "I'm…I'm here."

His hands caressed her cheeks as he lowered himself and pressed his lips against her forehead, "_I would have never left if I knew you wouldn't want to love me anymore Harley. I was just trying to keep you and Dannie safe."_

"I know," and she placed her hands on his cheeks, his few small tears intertwining with her fingers, dancing along her love soaked skin in hopes to catch her cascading mind, "I know."

All she could see was black, pitch black, not even the smallest peak of light emerging from anywhere. But what she felt, as Joker lowered his lips from her warm brow to her wanting smile, was pure love, pure wishing love. The most passion driven kiss she had ever felt, a kiss that plunged into her broken heart so deeply, so casually…it was remarkable how right it felt.

"I love you Puddin'."

"_Open you're eyes Harley…_"

Softly she complied, and opened her raring eyes, completely infatuated with the thought of seeing him. "Joker?" she called out when the harsh fact hit her in the mind, no one was here. Harley looked both to her right and left, no one in sight, not a sound or movement in any capacity. She rubbed her eyes trying desperately to remove her sleep, and searched again, finding neatly tucked sheets and herself all alone. "Was that…a dream? My god…"

It seemed so real, was the only thing that managed to flutter through her mind, his words, his kiss, him. It seemed so undeniably real.

Still surprised that it all had been just a surreal adventure, Harley managed to remove herself from her bed and perform her morning rituals. Calm and remotely unsure of herself, she then ventured out of her room and peeked motherly into Danielle's room, "Dannie girl? You up?"

"Yea, come in mom. Dad and I were playing video games."

Harley entered the bedroom and folded her arms across her chest, smiling at the animation Joker was putting into his playing. Bitterly allowing her thoughts to trail away from her strange delusion.

"What do I do next?! Shoot that guy across the way or jump down and remove the theatrical thermo hydrator molecular device?"

"Where did you get that at Dannie?"

Danielle nudged her father to the side in attempt to make him mess up in his gaming, and a chatter of giggles exited her as Joker playfully elbowed her back. "Shoot the guy first…dad got it for me for my birthday, cool huh?"

"Very cool. What would you like for breakfast?"

Joker immediately paused the game and turned to Harley with bright alluring eyes, "Breakfast? I want pancakes…with powdered sugar…oh! And not that sugar free syrup either, you know the type that dehydrates your entire being? I want the regular syrup that tastes unbelievably fantastic, a lot of it too."

"Right…" she commented on his demand, "what about you Dannie, are you up for pancakes today?"

Danielle smiled and looked at her father who sat impatiently next to her, his bottom lip sucked in and his body enthusiastic in her response. "Pancakes are fine."

"Yes!" he roared and resumed playing his game.

"I think your father is enjoying your present more than you are Dannie. I'll go make breakfast and call you when it's done."

With a happy nod, Danielle watched her mother exit the room. Once she was gone, Danielle turned to her father and watched him, just examined the man who helped create her. "Thanks for the game dad."

"Mmhmm."

She gave a short airy laugh and questioned her father humorously, "I'm sure it cost a lot right? Of the highest quality?"

"Oh, you bet," he lavishly produced a heart-warming grin, "only the best for my Dannie."

"Dad? Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

She sighed a laugh and set down her controller, "Seriously though, I have a question for you."

Sensing the tone of her voice, Joker set his controller down as well and placed all his attention onto Danielle, "And what question, would that be?"

"What's Arkham like?

"What's Arkham like? Why are you asking me that? Who cares what Arkham's like…it's just a resting spot, a day spa if you will."

Danielle folded her hands onto her lap, "I only ask, because I may get sent there one day, and I might as well ask the one person who knows Arkham Asylum best right?"

"Well, you're asking the right person that's without a doubt true. But you're not going to get sent there anytime soon princess, that I'm most positively sure of."

"Why do you say that?"

Joker smiled and shrugged, "Because you're not going to be doing anything to get you into Arkham that's why."

"What do you mean? I thought you were going to teach me how to become like you!?"

"Easy now Dannie…no yelling. I'm going to teach you, but it isn't going to happen over night, no."

She swallowed hard and looked Joker in the eyes, daring him to make a move if need be, "How long will it take?"

"Well now that all depends. I say with your brilliantly created mind, thanks to yours truly, you'll be out creating mischief in oh…say…a year?"

"A year! That's forever! I want to be the greatest villain Gotham City has ever seen! I can't wait for a year…"

Joker nestled his hand under his daughters chin and lifted it up from her pouting stance, glancing at her fantastic enthusiasm to impress, "You're going to be fantastic Dannie…you have no minor clue of how incredible you're truly going to be. All you need is a little building. No one will be able to stop you, not even Batsy!"

"Not even Batman?"

"He'll give you a good run that's for sure! Always does…but deep down you'll be able to take him if he splashes your shorts just wrong."

Danielle watched Joker remove his hand from her chin and begin to play with her cheeks lovingly, "You can take down Batman if you want, can't you?"

"I'd like to think so."

"But you don't though," she mused, "you don't kill him because then that would end the game."

"Right-e-o! But I tell you," he lowered his voice and checked his surroundings before continuing, "I'd really like to off him just once! Just to see what it'd be like…I'm guessing it'd be pretty boring, but hey…that's the price to continue the game. Not knowing."

She looked down at the ground with a glum grin, "Did you miss me while you were in Arkham?"

"What!? Of course I did! I thought about you and Harley everyday! …Did you miss me…" he repeated in astonishment.

"Did you ever think of breaking out? To come back to us?"

His eyes shot her a stern glare, and he grasped her shoulders firmly, "I thought about you and your mother almost every minute of everyday. Wondering if you were safe, hoping you were healthy, praying that you two were warm at night and asleep in a comfortable bed. And with every minute of everyday that I thought of my two beautiful girls…I thought about breaking out to come back and make sure all those thoughts were true. But I couldn't and I'm sure you knew why."

"I did, and I love you dad," and she sprung over to him in a tight embrace, holding him like she never had before.

"Dannie…" he smiled and hugged her back, "you're the greatest daughter, probably the only kid in the world that would put up with me hmm?"

"Probably," she laughed and then slowly pulled away, "dad?"

Joker tilted his head slightly confused, "Yes?"

"Moms scent is on you, you know. And gathering into thought that you haven't touched one another much for reasons I'm sure are tender at the moment…you must have been in her bed."

"That's a lot to 'gather' just from me smelling like your mother."

Conceitedly lifting one brow she smirked, "But it's true isn't it?"

"I never said it wasn't…" he flipped a dismissing hand in the air, "the couch was stiff and my back was hurting. It was only right for me to want to lay in a softer place, your mothers bed was the perfect spot."

"She loves you dad. I've heard her moping around sometimes, muttering to herself about the times with you. It's pathetic but unbelievably cute…and sad."

Joker uneasily teetered backwards in his spot, "Yes, I know. And I love her, as well as you…now…enough of all this sappy crap!"

"No!" Danielle laughed as she leapt back to escape her fathers pounce, "no tickling!"

"But it's my favorite game Dannie!" he bellowed his usual laugh and landed his fingers into Danielle's side, tickling madly as she crowed her lovely chuckle.

"Dad! I swear! Stop it!"

Joker continued, not minding her happy warning, "Or what!?"

"Or this!" and she swatted him heavily with a pillow she managed to grab from atop her nearby bed.

"No fair! You have weapons!"

Danielle swung her pillow at him again and hit him square in the face, "No tickling!"

"Dammit Danielle! Don't hit me in the face!" Joker then speedily grabbed his own pillow and began chasing Danielle out of the room.

"No! Leave me alone!" her hurried laughter sounded off brilliantly and Joker was beyond words proud of it.

As Danielle scurried across the floor and towards the kitchen, the sweet smell of syrup and butter rummaged into her being. An overwhelming aroma of satisfaction overtook her thoughts and actions, and so she dropped the pillow and walked to her mother, dropping the knowledge of knowing that her father had been chasing her.

"Those mom," she pointed at the pancake filled plate Harley was holding, "have to be the best smelling pancakes I've ever smelled in my entire life."

"Thank you, where's your father? I was just getting ready to call you two to come and get…oh no."

Having no decent time to react, Joker slammed into Harley as he slid across the slick tiled floor in his socks. In a bursting rumpus of colliding figures, the solo plate filled with fresh hot pancakes slammed against Harley's chest. In an aggravated sigh, Harley felt the warm cakes slide along her chest and fall downwards. The plopping sounds of her hard work falling to the ground in the most futile of ways caused her to create a fed up pout along her lips.

As he held his chosen weapon of a pillow close to his chest, Joker glanced at his fatal doings. Eyes trailing up from the pancake filled floor, to her soiled shirt, to her livid and raging pout, he nonchalantly smiled a sheepish grin and began to pat her head lightly, "That's okay Pooh! Cereal sounds better than pancakes anyway!"

Harley blew out her nose heavily and aimed a blaming finger sternly at Joker, "I-"

"Mom," Danielle interrupted at the sound of a brutal and forcing knock, "someone's at the door."

* * *

**OMG, hello again all my fantastic readers! It's been forever! I truly missed you all...**

**I must must must apologize for my lack of updates, I just graduated (YESNESS!) and then I had a surprise guess (MYSTINESS!) and then we had to make a mad dash to LA California to look at homes (I HATE FLYINGNESS!)**

**Anywho...I am back! And hopefully, but I shall make no promises, I will be able to update sooner from now on, HOPEFULLY. We are moving down from Northern CA to Southern CA at the moment, so things are a bit crazay! Enough of my life though...**

**PLEASE REVIEW! HOPE YOU ENJOYED! A BIT SENTIMENTAL IN THE NEXT CHAPPIE AND THAT'S ALL I CAN PROMISE...NOW AWAY I GOOOO! WEEEEEEE!**


	7. Chapter 7

All three stood in a silent pause, three sets of eyes flashing to one another's in a surprise of absolute and confusing thought. Harley managed to gulp down a lump in her throat and then calmly turned to Danielle, "I want you to take your father into your room and lock the door. Be as quiet as you can."

"But what if it's for me?"

"If it's for you," she swiftly pondered, "then I'll just tell them your out."

Again the knocking went off, and in a frantic hurry both Danielle and Harley looked to Joker.

"Where did he go?!" Harley muttered in fear after realizing that the curious Joker had left his spot. "He was just here!"

Danielle scurried around the corner of the kitchen and towards the door, begging that her father hadn't gone and greeted their unwanted guest, to her disappointment however, he had.

"And what types do you have?"

"Well sir," the young girl proudly began as she opened up her order form revealing a plentiful variety, "we, the International Girl Association of Scouting, hold a very pre…prestigious and…glory…glorified selection of yummy cookies. As you can see, we have ten choices that are presented before you, consisting of our most famous, minty chip, and super caramel."

Joker knelt down to eye level with the child and smiled, "Interesting."

"What is he doing?!" Harley gasped as she too saw what Joker was doing. "If someone sees him…"

"Yes sir, I am the highest ranking cookie seller in my troop! My bestest was three hundred and twenty nine boxes, that's a lot you know…"

"Oh I'm sure! So how many have you sold now?"

The girl looked down and tried to count in her mind, but after a moment of hard work she shrugged and looked back up, "I dunno, mommy usually counts them…"

"Your mother hmm?"

Danielle and Harley moved to Jokers position and quietly smiled nervously at the girl, peeking around the corners of the door frame into the halls, scared out of their wits, "Hi Alexis, didn't you sell us cookies yesterday?" Harley asked.

"Yes."

"Then why are you back trying to sell more?"

"Well," she remarked in an obvious tone, "I haven't sold any cookies to this guy, and I think I've got him wanting to buy a box."

Joker chuckled and resumed his questioning, "How much are they?"

"Three dollars and…fifty cents."

He squinted and patted his Arkham pockets, feeling for any cash. When he came up empty he looked at Harley and pleadingly suggested with his eyes that she give him some.

"I don't have any cash on me," she dug through her pockets as well, hoping she did have money to get Alexis out of here. This whole ordeal was beginning to become ridiculous.

After looking at Danielle and again receiving a no answer, Joker turned back to Alexis and smirked, "Give me your money."

"What?"

He opened his hand and pushed it in front of the girl, "Give me your money, you tempted me to a point of no return and now I feel I should fulfill my appetite of munching on those minty chips…so, give me your money so I can pay."

"I'll have you know sir, I got my badge in self defense! And I know how to call 9-1-1!"

Harley's eyes bulged in consequence, "Will you take a check? How about a check? Don't call the police, please!"

"Make it out to the International Girl Association of Scouting…"

Danielle laughed at her father's method of receiving money as Harley wrote out the check, but stopped as Alexis began to question things herself.

"Why is your face white?"

"My face? Mmm, skin cancer."

"Does it hurt?"

"Intensely," he giggled.

"All the time?"

"Oh yes…"

"…Can I touch it?"

"Very well."

She jabbed a finger into his cheek and squealed upon impact, throwing her hand back to her chest in extreme animation.

Joker lifted a brow at her scream, "Was that necessary?"

"I thought it was going to hurt when I touched it…"

"Well Alexis," Harley handed her the check, and then received her box of cookies, "there ya go."

"Thank you for supporting your…local…International Girl Association of Scouting…your sincere purchase will be held against our…hearts with great-"

Joker stood up and slammed the door shut in the middle of her ending speech, "Hand me those cookies Harl!"

"You can't just open up the door for anyone like that! You should know!"

"I looked through the peep hole first…she doesn't even know who I am, which is disappointing," he snatched the box and furiously ripped it open.

Danielle grabbed a cookie from the box and munched on it as she watched her parents argue.

"It doesn't matter! What if it were a trap? What if the police were just using her as a way to get us to answer the door? You have to think about those things! You're going to end up getting this family hurt…"

"You honestly think the police would use a little girl as a decoy to get The Joker out of an apartment room?" he questioned.

Harley sighed and rubbed her forehead, "No…I'm just nervous…I don't even know why I'm doing this."

He glanced at Danielle and then secretly whispered into Harleys ear, "Because you love me…you love our relationship…you love the electricity that runs through your veins when I touch you…and you love your daughter. That's why you're doing this."

"I don't love you…"

"Stop kidding yourself Harley, you can't get enough of me. That's why you asked me to break out, of course most of the reason was for Dannie's safety, but the other percentage was because you missed me dearly."

"It was only for Danielle, I told you that."

He went back to her ear and took hold of her hand, squeezing it tightly, "I love you, I'm open about it, I wasn't always but now I am. I was so used to having you by my side, you telling me that you love me every minute of everyday. Where did that go? Why can't you say it now? I don't understand it Harl…you don't want to be considered insane, and I understand that the masses will ultimately deem you that if you're associated with me…but I don't understand why it's such a big deal to you."

"It just is," she whispered back, looking directly at Danielle and into her gleaming eyes. She squeezed his hand back in comfort, "It just…is," she lied.

"But living this sane life isn't making you anymore happy, it's making you depressed Harley. I haven't seen one of those true smiles from you in forever, I miss those, I miss Harley Quinn, I miss you." Joker looked down at her watery eyes, "Come back to me. Why is it so important that you're considered 'sane'?"

"It's not."

"Then why do you live life like it is? Remember how happy we were? When we chased Batsy around…and he'd chase us? Blowing up stuff, shooting people, making the world laugh again? Remember how happy that made us? We rarely frowned after a good game Harl."

She shook her head, "I just wanted her to be safe. If I led a clean life, she would be safe…"

"And now she is safe, because I'm back. I won't let her get hurt when I teach her…she's my daughter, our daughter. I love her and you and now I'm back to keep my girls protected."

"But," she squeaked in an attempt to keep back her tears, "what if you get sent back to Arkham, what if you leave again? Dannie would be left alone…and that could leave her vulnerable."

"She'd never be alone Harley, if I got sent back to Arkham I'd just break out again."

"But what if you leave?"

Joker listened to her whispering question, so quiet and scared, "I'm never leaving you two again."

"I don't want her to get hurt again Joker."

"What do you mean again?"

Danielle had dismissed the conversation long ago and was now on her phone, prancing randomly from couch to couch, "Mmhm…then come over I don't care. Of course he's still here! I don't know let me ask…hey dad?"

"Yes baby princess?" he responded and pulled away from Harley.

"If Jasper comes over, are you going to beat him up again? He wants to know…"

"Chances are high…"

She smiled at her father and then proceeded with letting Jasper know the information, "He says chances are high...yea…okay see you soon!"

On the subject of Jasper, Joker popped his neck and took a seat on the couch next to Danielle, "Is he coming over?"

"Yea…don't hit him okay?" she asked simply.

"I'll try not to. How long have you known one another?"

She smiled at her father's investigation, "Six months."

"How old is he?"

"Twenty one," she laughed.

"And I hear he's now included into the Rogues Gallery?"

"Yes…"

Joker placed his hand on top of her head and grasped it playfully, "How did you meet him?"

Suddenly her happy eyes took a remorseful turn, "We just met."

Harley, who had been in the kitchen cleaning up the mess from earlier, had as well taken a look of solitude.

"Just met?"

"Mmhm."

Sensing the tension within the conversation, Joker decided to leave the topic for the time being. However, not knowing the entire truth on how his daughter met Jasper, it peaked his interest no doubt. "Where are Bud and Lou?"

A loud shatter echoed from the kitchen and Joker shot his glance to there then to Danielle, who was quietly mouthing 'no' to him.

"What?" he whispered.

"Mom gets a little…touchy, on that subject. They put them down…said they weren't fit for a zoo or the wild."

"Oh," he said sadly.

Harley finished her cleaning and joined her family on the couch, taking a hesitant seat next to Joker, trying to become more comfortable with her feelings towards him.

"I didn't know Harley."

"It's okay," she said as a stream of slick tears slid down her cheek.

Danielle nudged him in the side and he sighed. Soothingly he kissed Harley's cheek and she moved closer to his side, resting her head on his shoulder, knowing that she loved him but still not allowing herself to say it.

Even if it was plainly obvious.

"You know Dannie…I have another present for you."

"You do?!" Danielle jumped up and smiled. "Where?!"

Joker patted Harley's thigh and stood up, "Sit down I'll be right back."

She edgily took a seat next to her mother and wiggled in anticipation, "I love presents."

Soon Joker returned from the hallway with a large box, wrapped in purple and adorned with a large green bow, "Here ya go sugar pop."

"Yay!" she excitedly jumped down and started tearing the paper away from it with a large smile plastered on her face. After removing the paper, she carefully peeled open the top of the box and was shocked when she heard a small whimper. "Dad…you didn't."

"I heard about Bud and Lou when I was in Arkham. Happy Birthday Dannie girl."

Danielle grinned and removed the small hyena pup from the box, not very old at all, small and fragile with tuffs of messy hair sticking up from its head. With black and reddish brown spots flourished over its tiny frame, Danielle fell in love with the happy creature in a second. The pup gave a snuggling climb into her neck then yawned with a squeak.

"A baby!" Harley exclaimed, jumping from her spot on the couch and racing to Danielle's side. "Aw, he's adorable…"

Joker smiled and shoved his hands into his pockets, "You need to give him a name Dannie."

"It'll come to me," she laughed as the pup licked her neck with his petite tongue. "Thank you dad."

Harley scratched the hyena as Danielle held him, both of them smiling happily, truthfully, and Joker just watched his two girls finally show their true absolute colors.

Soon the door monitor sounded and Danielle was quick to jump to her feet, "That must be Jasper."

"Let me hold the baby!" Harley still sat on the ground and received the innocent pup, who then curled into a tight ball in her hands and rested.

"Hello?" Danielle answered the monitor.

"It's me."

Joker slowly sat down by Harley's side and she scooted once again closer to him. With their thighs pressing against one another's, Harley looked over to him and grinned, "He's cute."

"Yes he is. You shouldn't get too attached Harley, he's Dannie's not yours."

She removed her grin and sidled the corner of her mouth to the side, "I know. He's Dannie's baby, I won't forget that…I just miss Bud and Lou."

"I know. So that's why I got you a pup of your own."

Harley shot her view back to Joker to see his maddening smile. He reached back into his pocket and pulled out another baby hyena, presenting it to her with careful transaction.

"Puddin!" she gasped as the hyena was placed next to the other already in her lap and hands.

Danielle turned back to her parents and sat down in front of them, "…My hyena can multiply!"

Joker and Harley both laughed and watched the squirming bundle. Harley then kissed Jokers cheek, "Thank you Mistah J."

"Mmm."

A knock was heard from the door and then Jasper let himself in, immediately coming in eye contact with Joker, he felt an absolute pile of hatred swarm and writhe inside him.

Danielle picked up her new hyena and held him proudly against her chest as she greeted Jasper, "Look Jasper! Dad got me a hyena! He got mom one too!"

"Ah," he managed a smile and tickled the pups head with his fingers, "what's his name?"

"Don't know yet. Mom? I'll be in my room okay?"

"Kay sweetie."

As the two of them left the living room area, Joker picked up the pup from Harley's lap and set him to the side. Then with grace added in all his moves, he pressed his hand against her stomach and patted his fingers there, his eyes moving up and down Harley's perfect neck.

"What are you doin'?"

"Loving you," he stated, not looking her in the eyes, but traveling over her body like a treat. Almost salivating over the thought of his flesh touching hers, Joker straddled her to the floor, making her fall to her back casually and innocently. With his lips trailing over her neck delicately and kissing the lobes of her ears menacingly, he crept his hands up the back of her shirt to support her.

She let out a small whimpering moan and Joker bit her neck at the arousing sound, letting all his senses melt into one.

"Puddin'…Puddin' stop."

"No."

Harley laughed, feeling at ease with his loving, "Not here, not right now!"

"Do you love me?"

He had stopped so quick in his actions, his face hovering above hers, eyes ready and alert with her reply. She bit her bottom lip and grinned, "Yea…"

"Was it because of that guy?" he pointed over to the side at the pup who sat with a cocked head, watching their movements with pure awe.

"Mmhm!"

"You love me again because I got you a hyena puppy?"

"Yea!" she giggled, and then held his cheeks, "This morning wasn't a dream huh? You were there in my bed."

"I was."

Harley pulled out from underneath him and then grabbed her pup, "When I said I loved you, I meant it."

"I know."

She examined the baby hyena more carefully and noticed a black diamond fur patch covering his left eye. She rationalized, and pondered about the tiny furry creature in her hands, then selectively turned back to Joker, "Do you want your suit?"

Jasper held Danielle's hyena in his hands lovingly as he climbed up onto her bed, "He's a good lookin' pup Dannie love."

"You're okay with me having a hyena? You're not…mad for some unconceivable reason that my dad got me a baby?"

"Absolutely not," he said smoothly as the pup nibbled on his finger. "I have to admit that you're father has finally made a healthy decision."

"And why is that?"

"You don't necessarily have many people to talk to baby love, or confide in. Just me, your mother, and father. Maybe having someone who won't judge your words, maybe that would be good for you. I know things are hard right now."

She smiled and climbed up the bed to Jaspers side, cuddling the pup with her fingers, "Thank you."

"But I think this little guy needs a name Dannie," Jasper turned to her and kissed her cheek, allowing himself to linger by her neck, breathing in her sweet and young aroma. "You're going to call him something that has to do with laughs…or smiles…or something hmm?"

"Probably," she laughed and gave her new pet tender strokes along his back.

"I'm sorry I left yesterday. But your father…"

"I know."

Jasper dug his face into her neck and kissed her deeply, "I love you Danielle. I just…got upset when you told me that if your father didn't break out within a week, you'd come with me. Then low and behold…he was there, it just frustrated me."

"I still don't understand why he lunged at you like that."

"Because you're his daughter, and I, a threat on taking his only kid away from him, his baby girl. I may say a lot of things about The Joker Dannie…but I understand how he feels towards you."

"But you always say that he doesn't love me, why are you being so understanding now?"

He shrugged and curled up to her side even more, "I don't know, but appreciate it, it may go away if you're not careful."

She giggled as his words tickled her skin, his lips frisking her jaw line. "Jasper!"

"Dannie…" he chuckled and set the pup on the ground, "you're the most beautiful, most original girl I've ever met."

As his hand rushed along the inside of her arm and to her neck, he continued his slow tender kisses and nips, applying a slight amount of pressure to the nape of her neck, and with his other hand he began to lift up her shirt.

"Jasper," Danielle kissed him back, loving his feel, his warmth.

Jasper pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it to the side, instantly kissing her soft stomach, wanting every bit of her. "Dannie…" he unbuttoned her pants, "I love you." He continued with his actions, and pulled down her tight jeans, and with a bright smile he looked up at her then back to his fumbling fingers. Suddenly he stopped and looked back up to his perfect love, "Dannie? Baby love, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I'm scared. I'm scared of what happened…"

He grabbed her blanket and covered her body, "I'm sorry Dannie…I didn't realize, baby love, are you okay?" When she didn't reply, just fell into his chest, Jasper held her tight, "I promise you I'll find him Dannie, I'll find him and tear his throat apart. I promise."

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**Hey everyone! Story is slowly taking form as you can now see...hopefully things will start picking up! Please leave a review, hope you enjoyed!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Jasper stroked back the loose strands of hair that delighted themselves around her eyes. He was tedious in his carefulness, soothing her deranged emotions in the most gentle of ways, concealing his own toiling rage inside, "Do you want me to get your mother?"

Danielle nodded and grabbed her shirt, fear filled tears running down her cheeks, and slipped the clothing back over her head.

"Here," he guided her pants back up her legs, such a heavy amount of repentance in his sweet filled dealings. "I'm sorry Dannie, I wasn't thinking."

Quietly she reached out with her hand and glided her frightened fingers through his black hair, smiling silently as he proceeded with intensely cautious measures. Jasper, after re-buttoning her pants, looked up at her and smiled back.

"I know that's what you want and everything Jasper, but I'm just not ready yet. I mean after what happened…"

"Dannie," he grinned and placed the palms of his hands on her warm cheeks, "no. I may, do things that seem like that. I may provide you with what could be called somewhat obscene actions in that regard, but don't ever think that that, is all I want from you. You're only sixteen, and you've had an incredibly difficult and traumatizing moment just a short six months ago. I, in no way, want to resurface old emotions, old memories of that time. And I am sorry sweetheart. I am so sorry."

"But…"

"Baby love, I don't need that from you. Sure, maybe one day. But now? How foolish of me to even begin to think you were ready." He took a deep breath and stood up from the bed after placing a kiss on her forehead, "I'm not your boyfriend because I want you sexually, I'm your boyfriend because I love you and want to protect you. When you're ready, you're ready, and you'll be able to tell me that when you're comfortable. Okay?"

Danielle looked down at her lap and nodded, "Okay. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing, at all, to be sorry about. Nothing. I'll go get your mother alright?"

"Okay. Could you hand me Teller?"

"Teller?" Jasper mused and looked down at the small bundle of fluff next to the bed. With a chuckle he reached down and picked up the baby hyena and held him in front of his face. "You are rather quiet."

"He's just trying to catch you off guard, it's his stealth attack you know," Danielle giggled as she wiped away a tear.

"Ah I see, you're a sneaky one hmm Teller? Frightening the citizens of Gotham with your cute and charming ways then when they least expect it, you attack."

Teller stared at Jasper and blinked confusedly at his words, then a moment later, with his sneaky actions in place, his petite nose began to scrunch.

"Watch out Jasper, he's going to attack," Danielle warned in a laughing manner.

Jasper continued to smile at Teller as his nose twitched and small eyes closed. "I think he's going to sneeze."

"That's just what he wants you to think. Don't be fooled, Teller is a trained assassin, a master of stealth and destruction. No one dare use his power, for unleashed…he would be unstoppable."

As soon as Danielle finished with her advice, Teller sneezed and sprayed a minor amount of snot into Jaspers chest. "Oh yes Teller," he began, "you, with your horrific doings of unrelenting dread…will terrorize the masses."

Danielle's tears soon drew to a finish as Teller was handed to her. With one last smile directed towards Jasper as he made his way out of the room, Danielle sniffled and called out to him, "Thank you Jasper."

He nodded and walked out of her room, satisfied that he fixed his mistake the best he could. And he would, he promised himself, find the blundering fool who hurt his gorgeous girl, who troubled and distressed the one person in his life that he truly loved and cared for.

If it was the last thing he ever did, he would kill the man who hurt her in the cruelest of ways.

"Miss Quinn?" he called out as he entered back into the living room, "Danielle wants to…Miss Quinn?"

He searched momentarily in his standing position, twirling in a circle to see neither Harley nor Joker in sight.

"Hurry up, I want to see ya!" Harley whined in her regular tone of voice as she sat on the corner of her bed, legs swaying playfully, and eyes eagerly waiting on the closed bathroom door that concealed Joker.

He exhaled nosily at her impatient behavior and huffed on his coat, "You'll see me soon enough. I have to make sure everything's in order you know."

Harley cuddled her hyena up to her neck and placed a kiss onto its ruffled fur, "You got me a baby…"

"I'm aware of that."

Joker exited the bathroom area and revealed himself back into his regular attire. Purple suit with purple slacks included, his orange undershirt and blue bow tie securely fastened, a perfect flowery arrangement placed admirably onto his left lapel, and a pair of light blue skin tight gloves living happily on his masterful fingers. Of course included were his wonderfully black dress shoes dressed in their own crisp white spats, to say the least he was of the highest caliber once again.

"You look…great Puddin'," she complimented in the smoothest voice, so dastardly quiet it was frankly unbelievable that Joker had heard her in the first place.

He raised his brow in complete self-righteousness, wasn't it plainly obvious that he was 'great' looking? It should have been a word greater than 'great' but he had just won back her delicious mind and wasn't going to be stern on her actions just yet. It wasn't as if Harley was used to the man he is now, the real Joker, The Joker. Even if he had been charming in his ways with her, gifts and kisses, hugs and loves, it wasn't entirely him. Not _really_, maybe a little, she in fact had made him that way, and it was hard to not be completely loving towards her.

Joker popped his neck and watched Harley stand up from the bed in a secretive behavior, eyeing him in the most grand of manners. Sure he loved her still, had the moment he met the daffy girl before him, but showing his under the surface affection towards her wasn't something he found to be of importance at the moment, not like he had been doing eleven years ago. Like he told her the day of the wedding, when Oswald shot him the back, 'no more fighting' and that was that.

The only real reason he had been showing such affection towards her as of recent was to snap her back to his side. And as you can see, that took a simple day. Oh did he feel good again, and now that he was back in his skin, his beloved suit, he felt such unrelenting power to do what he was born to do.

And with Dannie at his side, and his sweet harlequin on his arm, he would do just that. Show Gotham what he was really made of, not the man who gave himself up to protect the girls he loved…but the clown who was stark raving hungry to take back his turf from those who had taken it.

All he needed to do was teach Dannie a thing or two, and he'd be, once again, the Clown Prince of Crime, of Gotham, of the world.

Because, he did love them.

Harley set down her pup and walked up to his grand and shining aura with a numbness settling in her fingertips. He was purely magnificent in his colors again. "Oh Puddin'…I don't know what to say."

"Then don't say anything," he tugged at his lapels and turned on his heel. "What you should do is make me breakfast. You know the meals at Arkham are terrible, and I haven't eaten a starch or protein in more than twenty four hours."

She hesitated at his words, at how he sounded, but she proceeded to near him and slowly wrap her arms around his waist from behind, and then she guardedly pressed the side of her face against his back. Muttering quietly to him, "I love you."

"Harley," he sighed and turned around while she still held him, now with her face pressed against his chest instead of his back. Joker chuckled slightly at her mannerism and rested his chin atop her head, "You make it so hard for me to be me."

"I know."

Finally he wrapped his own arms around her, "Then why do you do it?"

"Because…it gives me somethin' to do."

Joker snorted a single laugh and kissed her cheek, "I hate the fact that you're irresistibly cute pumpkin pie." He then hoisted her up off the ground and tossed her backwards onto the bed.

"Wee!" she shouted in excitement and watched Joker sneak his way up her body, his gleaming smile stretching ear to ear, just the way she loved him most.

Certainly he was enjoying himself, toying up her beautifully formed body with his maddening grin until he came to her shirt bottom, and he closed his toothy smile off now only smiling with his lips. Joker peeked his gloved fingers underneath her shirt and felt her warm skin radiating against him. He pushed his hands along her sides and fell victim to her thirst quenching curves. His hands then rested against her there as his fingers dug uncomfortably into her, but she didn't wither, didn't protest.

Joker kissed along her pant line, breathing hard against her wanting skin. His lenient and wet kisses stifled her mind from anything but him, and he smiled from the knowledge of knowing it. So soon was he moving one hand back down to the edge of her shirt, and hiking it back up her flat tummy, resuming his unhurried kisses along her feverish skin. He moved up slightly and kissed around her belly button, tickling her with his lips as he dragged them against her, causing Harley to giggle slightly in response and he momentarily joined back with his own splendid laugh. Until his reddened lips felt a pucker in her flawless skin.

He pulled back and explored the area he had kissed. His smile dropped into nothing more but a shadowy crevice as he loomed and traced his finger over the 'J' cut he had given her so long ago. It was almost invisible now, just a small little mountain in the shape of a 'J' along her stomach, barely being shown despite the slight pinkish coloring it had. Tiny silver stretches along its edge, tight and healed.

Joker, still with his fingers against the cut, kissed the center of the letter and placed his placid cheek against it. Tenderly closing his eyes as he felt Harley's unforgettable touch caress his scalp. Admiring and loving him with such open arms.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Harley smiled, "I'm not mad at you for doing that. I never have been."

"I know you aren't. But the fact that I cut you."

"You know Puddin'," she sat upright and moved herself to the edge of the bed as Joker kneeled down and kept his face buried against her scar, "this tummy has had lots of adventures. Mostly with you, and I was glad to know that I had a little reminder of ya when you weren't here. Something that was all my own, something you gave me that I can never misplace."

"That's stupid," he said flatly and rubbed his cheek further into the scar.

"No it's not!" Harley giggled and kissed the top of his head. "We created Dannie in this belly, how can that be stupid?"

Joker then pressed his mouth against her stomach and spoke, "She's a very beautiful girl Harley." She smiled and stroked his back, and he moaned quietly into her tummy, "But I'm really hungry."

"Alright," she laughed again, "let's go see what we can find for ya, kay?"

Almost immediately as they exited her room, Jasper turned to them and exasperatedly slumped his shoulders, glad that he had finally found Harley, "Miss Quinn, Danielle would like to talk to you."

And Joker bowed his head just a tad and a shadow crept over his eyes just a little, presenting his true demeanor to Jasper, "Is there a problem?"

"She just wants to talk to her mother, sir."

Joker lifted his head and smiled at Jaspers correct approach in speaking to him. He hadn't forgotten, and that was outstanding.

Harley turned to Joker and patted his chest kindly, "Do you mind if I go see what Dannie needs to talk about first? And then I'll make everyone breakfast?"

"Not at all, go see what our princess needs. I'll just," and he swayed a large step towards Jasper, "sit out here, with _Jasper_."

He looked at the grinning clown before him, not quite gaining his height but close, about an inch or so shorter than him, and stood his ground with a simple composed glare on his face. Before, when Joker presented himself to Jasper in his Arkham clothing, Jasper hadn't been struck in the slightest measure of, 'this is The Joker standing before you'. But now, as Joker stood before him in his trademark suit, it was catastrophically mind blowing, this was _The Joker_. The greatest villain of all time, the deadliest of all, standing before him…and he was _dating_ his daughter.

How exhilarating.

Harley walked into Danielle's room and instantly found a teary daughter petting her baby hyena, and her motherly heart yearned to stop the tears. "Sweetie girl, why are ya cryin'?"

"I just had some memories of, you know."

Harley climbed onto the bed and sat beside Danielle, running her hand along her tear stricken cheeks. "Oh sweetie…I thought you said you were doing better. Are you taking your medication?"

"I don't need it, it doesn't do anything anyway."

Harley sighed and kissed her daughter on the forehead, holding Danielle against her, wanting to protect her so much. "Do you want to talk about the memory?"

"It's just the same ol' thing. I'm in that room," her voice cracked, "and he comes in…"

"I'm sorry baby. It'll get better, I promise. Soon you'll be able to just toss out the memory at will…I don't know when, but one day you will."

Danielle shut her eyes tightly and pushed the back of her head against the wall, "I just wish that Oswald never came into our lives. Maybe then none of this would have happened!"

"I know," Harleys own eyes began to produce wells of tears, "I know."

"Dad would have never left, we'd be happy still."

Harley let go of Danielle and pressed her back against the wall as well, "He's trying to make it better. Somehow, he seems to make things more enjoyable, more happy, even when everything seems so dark and dreary."

"I have to tell him what happened to me," Danielle suddenly mentioned, "it isn't fair that he doesn't know."

"Do you feel that you can tell him?"

She brought her palm to her forehead and held it there as she contemplated what to do. Such a difficult story to tell her father, she couldn't do it alone, she needed someone to be there with her. "Only if you'll be with me when I tell him."

"Whatever you need baby girl. Do you want to tell him now?"

Danielle nodded and set Teller down on the bed, "I think if dad knows, I'll feel more safe. Does that make sense?"

"Absolutely," she agreed, "I think we'll all feel safe."

Joker stared at Jasper as they both took a seat in the living room. Stern glares and stares vibrating viciously throughout the area.

"You've been keeping her safe I presume?"

Jasper edgily ran his thumb along his bottom lip, "Yes sir."

"Good," he nodded and folded his leg over the other, sprawling his arms across the couch top and smiling darkly over at Jasper. "They don't know do they?"

"Not that I'm aware of. If they know something, I was no part of it."

"No indications?"

Jasper shook his head, "No."

A silent moment fell across the conversation and Joker pulled his hand up to his smiling face, examining his nails curiously. "You wouldn't be keeping anything from me, would you Jasper?"

"No."

"Let's keep it that way, hmm?" He chuckled in his throat and looked once again over at Jasper, "Because if I find out you've been keeping anymore secrets from me about my daughter…things won't be so pleasant. I wasn't very pleased to be acquainted with the fact that you and her are seeing each other. And don't even try to tell me that you're seeing her just to get closer, to perform your job better. Believe me Jasper, I know when things are brewing behind my back...and all I have to do is turn around to see what it is. Understand?"

A cringing churn in his stomach began to scar him as he listened to Jokers threat, and all he could do was respond back calmly, "Yes Boss."

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**Told ya things were picking up! (Oh! I love it!)**

**Please review :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

The hallway floor just outside her room creaked and squeaked in an unforgiving give, startling her and making her skin prickle. She was about to tell her father something so punctually secretive and closed that it charged her heart, caused it to beat to a fast paced thump that seemed to drive her, jump her.

It was fine just a minute ago, she felt perfectly comfortable in revealing the traumatic event that had happened to her just six months ago. But now, as she continued to stare at the dark dusty floor beneath her, crackling and screaming in a deranged 'no', it seemed to become a rather tough doing. How would he react? Would he be fatherly and loving? Or frustrated? Angry? Mad? And if mad, to what extent? Insane? Raving? Or just simply mad?

Would he take her to the side and gently hug her, tell everything was going to be 'okay'? Take her hand in his and smile his brilliant inspiring gleam and show her that this was nothing to be upset about? To gradually and finely move along with her villainous plans and act as if the cruel happenings had indeed never happened?

She rounded the corner of the hall along side her mother and entered the living room. Growing nerves ate away her insides like a feast fit for a royal king.

Joker smiled upon seeing his daughter and comforted himself further into the small couch where he sat, tapping his fingers calmly against the upholstery, "Everything alright Dannie?"

Her jaw trembled. Life had undeniably slowed, each step was like torture, wracking her thoughts, producing a stream of questions and thoughts and ideas and images and things to say and things to do and…it never stopped. It never did.

As far back as she could remember, as early as turning five, it never stopped. The questions that plummeted into her mind, questions she couldn't even begin to understand at her young age were pitiless. Despite being a genius, for this she was absolutely sure was true, she couldn't answer them without being confused about the answer to the question in the end. Though she was much older now and the answers didn't bewilder her much anymore. In fact, she was able to understand most anything, come up with her own reason and response instead of searching for the answer that was already stored into her mind to begin with. The questions were however, _still _there, all the time, plaguing her and twisting her.

But even then it wasn't just that, not just questions. There were thoughts and ideas that were so sadistic and sick it churned her stomach at night in discomfort. But she couldn't help but laugh.

In the still darkness of her room at night, alone and tired from the sleepless endurance she was put through again and again, she would delightfully laugh at all the images that crossed her path. She would try hard to muffle her chuckles, covering her blanket over her mouth in a pathetic attempt not to wake her mother. Biting her own thumb to somehow stop her mad fit of giggles, praying that inducing pain would silence them, but it never did help.

Then, after the countless minutes of terrifying and dizzying thoughts, her laughter would cringe into a full out holler, echoing against the walls of her room, taunting and mocking her, the shadows lurking and laughing right back at her.

Cheeks strained and sore from the mixture of laughter and tears, Harley would make an entrance and embrace her, wipe away the confused cry that covered her face, hush her soothingly, stroke and pat her back as she would scream into her mothers belly.

It was like that almost every night.

It never stopped. The thoughts, the images, the ideas, the questions, they never stopped.

"I need to tell you something."

"Oh?" he sat up straight and folded his hands properly onto his lap, listening fully to whatever she had to say.

"No wait!" Jasper shot up from his seat and all three of them looked to him with mystification. He calmed his actions and smoothed out his coat. Understanding just why his outburst had received such stares he swallowed and took a steady breath.

Danielle continued her ogle, "What's the matter?"

"I just think," he strolled closer to her and took hold of her hand affectionately, playing with her fingers childishly and lowering his tone for only her to hear now, "that maybe I should leave before you tell your father what happened hm?"

"Why?"

His eyes rolled around energetically as he tried to come up with a justification that could be presentable to her. Not wanting to plain outright say that if Joker knew what transpired, he'd most likely die. Because he had broken a rule in Jokers orders. Simple as that.

The orders and punishments of the job indicated were precise and clear.

About as clear as his memories of the day he had first met Joker, seven months ago.

Eating at an Akham Asylum villain filled table wasn't something he really favored when trying to enjoy one of his many meals there. Sure he was considered a villain himself, a rookie in the eyes of others, most others. He was knew and young, energetic and excited about what he could offer to Gotham City. Plans, capers, and jobs all ready set out in his strapping wits that he could already taste the _rush_ of adrenaline that pumped without direction in him.

"You ain't got what it takes kid," one man had mentioned as he shoved his gravy covered turkey into his mouth. "Being a villain in Gotham…you gotta be able to keep up with The Bat."

"No, no…" Jasper murmured, sipping on his glass of water, "he has to be able to keep up with me. You'll see, I'll be one of the greats, if not the greatest villain Gotham has ever seen."

"Afraid that titles already been given gumball. And its successor is eagerly waiting to be taught by him, to learn all the tricks of the trade! Looks like you'll just have to wait in line."

"Oh yea?" Jasper turned to the man who stood behind him and saw that he was partly covered in a shadow that sheltered his torso and face, concealing the mysteriousness of this other patient skillfully. "And who just happens to be the greatest? The best of the best, the cruelest of the cruel? What gives them the right to hold onto their title when others are there to rightfully take it away if they so please? Successors, that's foolish."

"Oh but there are successors," he smiled and leaned down towards Jaspers face, stopping just a mere few inches from him. "And I do believe with all due respect, that I hold the title of the best of the best, the cruelest of the cruel."

"Joker…"

"Oh good! You know me!"

The clown took a seat next to Jasper and leaned his elbow against the table top. Resting his head in his hand he looked onto Jasper with a great large grin.

"What?"

"I've been watching you, hearing things about you, and I must say it's all quiet promising."

The other men that had been sitting at the table had long since left in fear of Joker, and now it only held the Prince of Crime and himself. "Flattering."

"I like what I hear gumball, and I think you can do something for me."

"And why would I want to do something for you?"

"Because," he intriguingly and coldly began, "I can get you a seat into the Rogues Gallery. The 'best of the best' there eh? And that is what you want I presume?"

Jasper turned to Joker and looked him right in the eyes, "It's a start to what I want. What do you want from me?"

"You've got a mind that I fancy. I won't be modest, you're smart, you're intelligent, you've got strength, and you know how to use a gun. Unlike the suicidal unit in here…"

"What about it? Get to the point."

"I'm getting there. Unlike the other simple minded fools in this habitat, you know that it isn't all about offense."

"Anyone who really wanted a shot at being great would know that."

"Exactly. And that's why I want you to protect my daughter."

"What? You mean…Danielle Quinn?"

"Yes, that's her."

Jasper popped his knuckle and then rubbed there while contemplating, "Why ask someone like me to protect _your_ daughter. Wouldn't you want someone who was a bit more aged, a tad more experienced?"

"I want someone who will do the job without standing out like a vibrant sore thumb. You're new, you're young, you're eager I'm sure. No one would suspect that you're working for me."

"Why does she need protection?"

Jasper noticed his hesitation but let it pass. "She's _my_ daughter and that alone puts her at risk for even breathing. She's old enough now that I'm sure she wanders out of her mothers hands. Though I was positive she was safe with Harley when she was younger, I'm not so sure now. I want someone watching her when she leaves the apartment complex."

"What are your terms?" he took another gulp of water, not looking at Joker anymore but now straight ahead.

"You wait outside their apartment at all times until she comes out, and then you follow her wherever she goes. You protect her at all costs, no matter what, no excuses. And you report back to me with anything that happens to her. Though nothing _should_ happen, got it?"

"Yea, I got it. So I'm pretty much just her bodyguard."

"Yes," he reached a hand to Jaspers plate and grabbed a bread roll, munching on it as he explained. "But if she sees you, and starts asking questions as to why you are following her, and she finds out that daddy didn't trust her to be out alone, then it's game over for you."

"She would be upset that you didn't trust her?"

"More so the fact that she has most of my charming genes, and if she's anything like her father, which I know she is, then she'll be livid."

"Why?"

"Because, I would be. Now," he pulled a lollipop from out of his pocket and unwrapped it, "do you agree to protect my daughter at all costs?"

"I'm going to need money for supplies."

"Already done. I've got two armored trucks loaded and waiting for my signal to transport. You'll have weapons, you'll have cash, you'll have henchmen of your own, and you'll have your own hideout. All I need is a yes."

"Protect your daughter, at all costs. Report back to you if something does happen, keep you informed. And in return I get into the Rogues Gallery?"

"Right-e-o gumball."

Jasper watched Joker twirl the lollipop in his fingers, and then he gently sat down his now empty cup of water. "You got a deal, Boss."

"Good," he pushed forward the lollipop, offering it to Jasper, who only stared at the candy in uncertainty. "Don't like cherry?"

"Not particularly."

"Well good, because it's watermelon. Now be a good little Jasper and take a taste."

Jasper took the lollipop and examined it before turning back to Joker and questioning things, "Why?"

"You ask a lot of questions. It's just candy. Oh I see, you must have had the type of mother that told you never to take candy from psychotic homicidal clowns right?"

Jasper smiled and mouthed the pop, and tasting the burning sensation of cherry against his tongue, he removed it and grimaced. "You said it was watermelon."

"Oops, silly me must have lied!"

"What was on that lollipop?" he inquired, understanding that there had to be a reason for such play.

"Oh nothing fancy, just a tracking device that will burrow into your veins so I can watch you wherever you go. The pain gets tolerable after the first twenty-four hours."

"What?!"

"Ha ha! Just playing with you is all."

Jasper heaved a hefty sigh and rubbed his stomach in agitation.

"I do that from time to time. You'll get used to it." He sniveled and wiped his nose on his sleeve then patted Jasper on the back before standing up. "You better get a move on though; I say you have a good hour before that tracking device burrows into your liver. Woo! The pain that thing causes!"

"I thought you said you were kidding!"

"I was, it isn't your veins and it isn't twenty-four hours, its seventy-two. Now, like I said, it's best you get a move on, in about three minutes at the west end of section J, you'll receive a set of instructions on what to do next."

"What is this? I'm escaping right now with some high tech escape plan?"

"Exciting isn't it?"

Jasper stood up from the table and dusted off his sleeves, "Who's giving me the set of instructions?"

Joker only smiled and shoved his hands into his pockets, "You keep an eye on my daughter. I love her and miss her dearly."

He nodded and before he began his escape, he turned back to Joker one last time and crooked his brow, "Why don't you escape and protect her yourself?"

"She'd be safer if she never saw me again."

He noticed that Joker seemed almost regretful in his words, but he was wasting time as it was. "I'll keep her safe, you have my word."

"I'll be in touch," Joker chuckled a smile and turned away, lost within the mass of patients that filled the cafeteria area in a quick instant.

Jasper began his walk to the exit of the eating area, holding his stomach with pressure to allow guards to see that he wasn't 'feeling well'. He came upon the exit and grabbed the handle of the door, but was stopped sternly.

"Stop! No exiting during eating hour."

"I need to see my doctor, I'm not feeling well," he pushed his forehead against the door and stared at the handle, his hand still on his stomach, and his voice feeble and tired.

"Oh," the guard seemed apologetic for his reaction, "who's your doctor?"

"Doctor Leland."

"Hey Mike!" the officer called out to a nearby guard, "take my post, I'll be right back. I'm going to take this patient to his doctor."

The officer grabbed hold of Jaspers arm and helped him out of the area and down the hall. Being extra careful in his handling with him, he decided to ask a question.

"What's not feeling well? Stomach ache or somethin' else?"

"It's personal, I'm sorry." Jasper saw the entrance to section J just up ahead, as well as the security pass code monitor along side it. He wouldn't be able to get in without an officers pass code, and this dumb little bird on his arm seemed to be just the fellow to help him out.

"That's alright. Do you know which room your doctor is in? I can take you to her and see if she'll let you in to have a quick session."

"I know she's in section J, possibly room 23 or was it 25, I can never remember."

"Don't worry, we'll figure it out." They reached the door and the officer punched in a series of numbers. A red light located on top of the monitor flickered three times until a green one flickered instead, allowing the door to open and letting them both inside.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Jasper spun to the officers back and wrapped his arm around his throat. He reached for the sentinels tazor gun and withdrew it from its holster, and with a heaving shove, Jasper pushed the officer away from him and shot the tazor gun at the stumbling man. As the spears at the end of the wires struck into the back of the guard, Jasper let go of the gun and bolted down the hallway, making his way to the west end. Listening to the screaming and screeching officer behind him bellow in pain.

Thirty seconds later and he was at a dead end in the far west hall. "Now what? I don't see anything. No one's here…what instructions?"

"Stand back."

Jasper whirled around searching behind him to see who had spoken the command, but was unsuccessful to find anyone. "Who's there?"

"I never said 'Knock Knock', should I start again?"

"What the hell?" Jasper turned around again, this time facing the wall, no clue where the voice was coming from.

"If I were you, I'd stand back. In 20 seconds that wall is going to blow sky high!"

He recognized the voice, it was clearly Jokers, but he hadn't a clue how he was hearing him, "Where the hell are you?"

"In your ear, and I can see you skipped spring cleaning this year…my my."

"Huh?" and Jasper reached his hand to his ear and there sure enough, was a small device plugged into his canal. "How did you get a transmitter into my ear?"

"I have ways, now stand back or this whole magnificent escape I organized will be a complete waste of time."

He took a few steps back and narrowed his eyes, preparing himself for the blast that was about to come. Adrenaline pumping in excitement at the thought of becoming a true villain, joining the Rogues Gallery if all went well. This was his chance, and he was working for The Joker, on a job for _The_ Joker. It happened so fast too, Joker had come out of nowhere and offered him this job. He hadn't anything to lose, so he took it, and now he stood waiting for a wall to blow up. It was so perfect.

"Has that wall blown up yet?"

"Uh, no. No it hasn't." Jasper responded back.

"Hmm. Didn't think it would, but I thought we'd wait and see anyways. Now, go into the room on your left."

Jasper shook his head and opened the door leading into the room, "Okay, now what?"

"Take care of the ninjas and then open the envelope on the desk."

He looked around the empty room, obviously no ninjas were here and Joker was just enjoying his time. Jasper picked up the envelope on the far back desk and opened it. Inside were two keys, one purple and one green, attached to a plain keychain. "What do the keys go to?"

"Use the green one to open the bottom drawer of the desk."

"What's inside the drawer?" he walked around to the back of the desk and knelt down, inserting the key into the lock.

"It's a surprise! I'm not going to spoil the fun…"

"Where are you? I think it'd be a little strange for you to be talking to yourself in the middle of the cafeteria, at least others might think it strange."

"Does it matter?"

"Just wondering," he pulled the drawer out and inside was a black pistol, loaded and ready for use by anyone with a happy trigger finger. "Nice surprise."

"Now don't be shooting that thing off just for the hell of it, you've already attracted a number of guards by killing that sentinel in view of the security cameras. Sloppy work gumball."

"I'm learning. You picked a rookie. I'll be honest with myself; I need to learn a lot. And you were aware of that in the beginning."

"And still you're better then all the rest."

Jasper held the gun at his side, "Now what?"

"Oh, I don't know. Pull the fire alarm. That'll get Arkhams panties in a bunch."

"Serious?" he made his way to the fire alarm in the room and waited in front of it.

"Beats me, I don't even know if he wears unders that bunch, let alone unders at all!"

Jasper sighed and cleared his throat, "I mean to pull the alarm, do you want me to?"

"It'd be splendid if you perchance did."

He grabbed the small handle of the alarm and forced it down, resulting in a blistering high pitched alarm that sounded off at what seemed to be five second intervals. "Okay!" he yelled over the alarm, "It's pulled!"

"Really?! I didn't think you had! What with this bothersome beeping and all, it hadn't occurred to me!"

"Alright enough of the sarcasm! What now?!"

"The alarm will shut off in approximately five minutes. They'll realize there's no fire and shut down the system. That should give you enough time to scurry your happy little way out of here while in the fit of all the commotion without being seen."

"Where do I go?!" he continued to shout over the alarm.

"Back into the hallway."

Jasper hurried his way back to the thin hall and upon exiting the room, he glanced at the large agape hole that resided in the once normal wall, showing the outdoors and all its wonderful blue skies. "Uh, that wall you had me stand in front of…"

"Ye-es?"

"It, blew up."

"Well lookie there! Just our luck! Is there a knight in shining armor and his life long companion of a rearing majestic stallion waiting at the bottom?"

"No," he managed to smile. Obviously, he figured, the alarm was loud enough to hide the noise of the small blast to the wall.

"Damn him…I better get my deposit back. No matter though! You'll just have to jump into the pile of bushes at the bottom."

Jasper took a deep breath, "But I'm fives stories up from the ground, even those bushes won't break my fall."

"It'll help, I've done this jump many times."

"So you blow up this wall regularly then?" he readied his jump, placing his gun into one pocket and the keys into another.

"When it pleases me, yes."

"Alright, here I go." Jasper took another deep breath and leaned over the edge of the opening to approximate the distance and thrust he needed to land in the bushes, but upon looking over he noticed a rope secured to the side of the building and a small harness. "You were seriously going to make me jump?!"

"What?"

"There's a fucking rope and harness attached to the side of the god damn building and you were going to make me jump!"

"Well that's convenient."

Jasper listened to Jokers chuckles while quickly strapping the harness around his waist, "And what if I would have jumped? Then this whole plan would have been shit! I could have died if I had jumped!"

"Oh please, you wouldn't have died. Maybe a few bruises and a possible broken bone, but you wouldn't have died…exaggerator…"

Jasper descended the wall smoothly, the alarm still sounding off every five seconds. Finally he reached the bottom and removed the harness. "Okay, I'm at the bottom."

"Alrighty, head to the staff parking lot."

"Got it." Jasper followed the edge of the building, ducking and quietly dodging away from the large windows that resided in the walls. "So your daughter, how old is she?"

"Fifteen."

"How long has it been since you've seen her?" Jasper noticed a somewhat long pause, but he didn't ask Joker the question again, he was sure he had heard him.

"A while."

Jasper scurried under another window as he made his way to the parking lot, "I can tell you love her a lot. More so then what people say."

"It's been ten and a half years since I've seen my daughter physically. I've seen pictures in the news, in the media, but it isn't the same."

"I can understand that. What about Harley Quinn?"

"What about her?"

Jasper could see the parking lot, now about two hundred yards away, "She's got sane papers I guess. Told the doctors that she was working with that she wasn't going to cause any trouble, and she's stuck to her word supposedly."

"I know that already."

"I guess I'm asking if you want me to watch her too." another long pause went on.

"Your main task is to watch my daughter. If you see something that just so happens to involve Harley…then I'll assume you'd protect her as well."

"Alright, I'm in the parking lot."

"Right then, find the vehicle stall numbered 23D."

Jasper began his vehicle stall searching, "23D…23D…does it happen to be this purple vehicle?"

"What's the license plate say gumball?"

Jasper grinned and read it aloud, "It says 'SMILEZ', I'm guessing it's the one."

"What makes you say that?"

He ignored the question, "Does the purple key go to the purple car?"

"Possibly."

Jasper used the key to open the car and he got in and started the vehicle immediately, "Where to Boss?"

"Open the glove compartment and attach the GPS to the holder of course. Hit the 'Go' button on the screen and follow the directions it gives you until you reach your destination."

"Who set all this stuff up? I understand you thought of it, but-"

"I have lots of people everywhere, able to set up different things for me as long as I can adequately tell them where to find this and that."

"Why not just have one of them keep an eye on Danielle."

"I wouldn't trust one of those gobble heads if I asked them to keep watch on road kill! That's why I found you."

Jasper neared the security exit and promptly readied his gun, "Do you want me to kill this security guard up ahead, or just incapacitate him?"

"Whatever floats your boat, I could care less."

He aimed his gun and pulled up along side of the small hut like building where the security guard stood. "Open the gate."

"Whoa," the guard shot his hands up, "alright, let me just reach for the switch okay?"

Jasper watched the man's hand steadily reach for a small red switch, but he wasn't buying it, "Don't even think about flicking the security breech switch. I believe it's quite apparent which button operates the gate." He then motioned with the tip of the gun at a large button that had the word 'Gate' labeled on it.

"Please, I'm sorry, I was just trying to do my job. Here!" The guard hit the gate button and Jasper watched out of the corner of his eye at the rising gate.

"Thank you," and he re aimed the gun at the guards head, blasting a shot quickly and watching the blood splatter against the back wall.

"Well then. It should be a nice drive from here on out. How about a chat?"

He popped his neck, "About what?"

"Why you got put into Arkham in the first place. I know why according to your files, but I don't think it really happened like that."

"What does it matter? It happened, it's over with."

"Because you'll be protecting my daughter and I want to know all about you. I know a lot that's for certain, but I want to know it all. That shouldn't be a problem, should it?"

Jasper smiled and checked the rear view mirror, following the instructions from the GPS device, "Considering I'm starting to feel pain in the area where my liver would be, I'm taking a wild guess and saying that you weren't kidding when you put a tracking device in one of my organs. With that, I also know you're fucking out of your mind when it comes to protecting and making sure your family is safe. If you don't know everything about me, aren't confident that I'd protect your daughter, I'm sure all you'd have to do is tell one of your lesser henchmen to come by wherever I'm located and pop a nice bullet in my skull. So no, it's no problem."

"Smart boy."

"Though there isn't much to tell, sorry to formally disappoint you. I was brought up in a criminal family, not much of the high end jobs, more house robbers and street thieves, anything to get a little cash in your pocket to make it by for the week. Nothing like the indescribable stuff you do. Dad, mom, brother, and hopefully my little sister in the future…we were all involved in the family business. And I loved it."

"Tell me what happened."

"I came home one night after a robbery; I went out alone that time. Everyone was sitting in the living room, like they were all half alive. No one had any expressions on their faces. I set all my gear down on the coffee table in the middle of everyone, and ask what happened. Mom spoke up pretty quickly, told me like it was of no problematic occurrence that dad had been shot, killed. Supposedly he'd been on his own as well, though he was doing a more respectable job, robbing a real small bank on the corner of 5th and Main. He was stupid for going alone."

"But you didn't go all fuddy duddy just because daddy died."

"No, I didn't. I didn't respect him like I should have, but how could you when you knew he hurt your own mother every night. I know it seems a bit unsettling, but, I almost smiled knowing he was dead. The second mom told me, I almost smiled."

"And why didn't you?"

"Because I know it would have broken everyone else's heart. I was the only one in the entire family who loathed my dad. I'm probably just the same as every other patient in Arkham…family issues."

"You had a pretty big family issue, after all you did kill your brother and mother."

"Mom had a hunch that I was pretty pleased with the death of my father. I didn't truly seem phased whenever his name had popped up into conversation. I guess mom just didn't like my attitude. It was strange that she wasn't happy too, I mean now she didn't have to worry about not having the bed made just right, having the towels in the bathroom that hung from the towel rack a thumb widths apart, floors polished just right so dad could see himself in the reflection, she didn't have to worry about being repeatedly raped anymore. And she was sad it seemed, just so depressed and gloomy."

Jasper turned into an apartment complex where the device had told him to go, and parked the car in a shady spot.

"I'm here, at…Grove Apartments? That's where the GPS told me to go."

"Just sit for a moment. But then she went daffy on you and the family, right?"

"Yea. I never told that to my doctor at Arkham. How'd you know?"

"Like I said, I know a lot about you. Not to mention it's sort of clear that not having the strict husband around to beat her into line, just like she always had, was too much of a change to her already brittle and crumbling mind."

"You sound like a damn doctor."

"I did say 'I do' to one."

Jasper laughed, "You've got a pretty twisted love story in your belt."

"Yes, it's all truly maddening. But tell me, why did you kill them?"

"I'm not going to go into the whole thing with detail. My mom kept hurting my little sister, kept trying to drown her, poison her, murder her. I don't know what was going through her mind, or why she wanted to kill my sister, but she was relentless. If I wasn't watching out for that kid twenty four seven, she would have been killed eventually. Then one night, my mom has a gun pushed into her stomach and I decide that if I want my sister to live, mom is going to have to die. And I loved that kid, only about four months old, not a damn clue what was happening to her. So I shot my mom, and my brother comes out of his room, screaming and cursing…obviously he hadn't a clue what my mother was doing to this kid, and he pulls a pistol out on me. I was always a quicker shot, and I did away with him. Now it was just me and my baby sister, safe for the time being."

"And what happened to your sister?"

"I took her to a hospital. I was in no condition to care for a child, I was young, in a dangerous profession…I decided it was better for her to go to a family that could always take care of her and let her live in a life that was normal and safe. I remember handing her over to the receptionist, 'I found her in an alley screaming, I didn't know where else to take her'. Then after that, I started to work by myself of course, no more family hanging along and I got motivated to start bigger and better jobs, which resulted in more killings, more public knowledge of my existence. The only real reason I get put into Arkham, is because I get uncontrollable in the middle of a job, it's like a rush I can't even describe. But it's desirable."

"You got put into Arkham because you can't control yourself?"

"Well I can control myself, but like I said, I can't even describe it. It's like I'm crazy only for the time I'm in a job. I don't know if the death of my family urged it on, but I never felt anything like it before when they were alive. The cops say, if you don't mind me using you as an example, that I'm like a young Joker without all the punch lines. It's what they say I act like, but I wouldn't know…I'm too focused on my task at hand to worry about the way I act. I guess you'd have to see me in a big situation to really understand, hell I don't even understand it myself."

"And that, Jasper, is the true reason why I picked you to watch over my daughter."

"What?"

"I've seen you on the news fighting cops, fighting rivals, fighting Batman…I've seen just how you act in a situation. To be truthful it's like watching a young me, of course without the jokes like you said. And what better way to protect my daughter with none other than the same methods I would use?"

Jasper furrowed his brow and lightly wetted his lips, "You agree then, that I act like you in combat?"

"Irrefutably."

He pushed his head back against the seat and felt a tight lump in his throat. He didn't even know what to make of this, the greatest villain in the world, at least to him he thought, was saying that his own methods were the same. And he hadn't even done that on purpose; when he fought it was to win and that was that. He didn't pay attention to how he acted, he just…acted. "What do I do now?"

"You wait until my daughter comes out. And wherever she goes, you go. There is a picture of her in the console. I'll be in touch gumball, I had a pleasant chat."

"Wait, Joker?" he waited for a response, "Joker?" but was left alone.

And that's how it all started, a memory so planted in his mind it was like his favorite bed time story to read about again and again before he went to sleep. And now, if Danielle told her miserable tale to her father, Joker would know that he had slipped when trying to protect her. And that would be his downfall, his end.

"Well, maybe it would be easier for you if it were just the family?" Jasper asked Danielle as she narrowed her eyes in thought.

"I'd like for you to stay, that would make it easier."

"But maybe not as easy for your father?"

"Why don't you want to stay when I tell him?"

"I'm not saying I don't Dannie love! It's just…"

She cocked her head, "Just what?"

"I…I just don't think it to be appropriate. That's all."

Forgetting all about her nerves, she smiled, "Stay."

"But Dannie!" he harshly whispered as he lowered himself to her ear, pleading with his voice for her to not share what happened to her with Joker. But she wouldn't have it, and she happily patted his shoulder.

"Stay. It'll make me happy."

Harley took a seat next to Joker and snuggled into his magnificent side with a petite frown. She didn't look forward to this discussion, but she did feel it could help in making them feel safe. Because Joker always did have that charm, he could always make her feel safe in even the most dangerous situation.

Joker watched Danielle and Jasper sit down in the matching couch just across from him, noticing his daughter's eyes were slightly watery but not teary. "So Dannie, what do you need to tell me?"

She looked down at the floor and sighed quickly, and feeling a reassuring hand rub her lower back she looked at Jasper and smiled. "I don't think there is any easy way to slide into a discussion like the one I'm about to have with you dad. So I'm just going to tell you what happened to me."

"What do you mean 'what happened to me'?" his voice already strident and tight.

And that was enough to send her into a spasm of tears and she covered her face in shame. This was hard. She didn't sob, just let her tears slide down her face, "I'm sorry."

"Sweetheart," Jasper held her and removed the hand from her face, "look at me. You're okay."

Joker still sat, eyes questioning and brows furious, "What the hell happened to you?"

"Give her a minute," Harley spoke to Joker quietly but he protested.

"If someone doesn't tell me what happened to my daughter right now, I will force it out of one you. Now tell me what the hell happened!"

"Give her a god damn minute! Obviously what she wants to tell you is very difficult for her! So give her some respect!"

Joker stood up and Harley grabbed onto his arm, "Puddin'! Don't!" but she was forcefully shoved away.

"How dare you yell at me! You unfit piece of slime! Have you no idea who I am?"

"I know exactly who you are, a coward for running away from your family when they needed you most! Look at her! Look at your beautiful daughter in tears trying her best to tell you something! And all you do is demand an answer now from anyone! She respects you more than anyone I know and you act like this when its clear as day that she needs a stable and calm moment…how dare I? How dare you..."

"I'll kill you!" Joker felt Harley grab hold of his waist, wrapped herself around him like she did so long ago and buried her head into his chest.

"Please Mistah J, just sit! Please!"

"Stop," Danielle raised a hand. "Everyone just sit down. Damn Mount Vesuvius has nothing on you three."

Joker looked at Harley then back to Danielle and edgily took his seat once again.

"Thank you," Harley sighed in relief and kissed his cheek.

"Okay, I'm jumping into this. Six months ago I was kidnapped. Taken hostage by someone I've never known, and still don't know. I was outside walking around the park out back…and I felt something plunge into my neck, some drug that knocked me out within thirty seconds. Next thing I know I'm in a pitch black room, barely being able to breath."

Jaspers eyes were red and bothered. He had heard the story so many times, but it never got any better. The pain he felt for her was only a fraction of the pain she must have felt, and he couldn't help but feel it to be all his fault.

"About fifteen, maybe twenty minutes later, and this tall black figure looms over me." She hitched a breath but continued, "And he hurt me, beat me, he kept asking for information about you dad. But I didn't know anything."

The anger sat in his eyes, but Joker was quiet and calm in his question, "What did they ask you?"

"Your real name, where you grew up, your family. Just anything about you, the questions were limitless, they never ended."

"How long?"

"Four days," she looked away and grabbed Jaspers hand, "but they didn't just beat me dad. It's hard to say out loud, it's hard to even say the word, let alone think."

"No," Joker pleaded and let his shoulders slump, "no Dannie…"

She bit her lip and held Jaspers hand tighter and nodded at her father, "I was."

Joker pushed his head back against the couch and stared at the rotating fan above. Mouth closed, breathing quiet, and eyes tired, all he could do was hate himself for ever meeting Harley. It was simple throughout all the years he had even known Harley, if he hadn't met her in the first place, none of this would have happened, ever.

"That's just the quick version of everything that happened. But, I'm getting better dad. It's just hard to talk about, that's all. Really I'm not that traumatized by it, and Jasper and his guys are trying to figure out who did it. You don't have to worry." She could see the horror hiding underneath her fathers skin, and she knew that he was blaming himself. "Dad, it is _not_ your fault."

He let his eyes fall to the bottom corner of his sockets and tentatively looked into his daughters eyes. "I'm going to tell you something that I want you to always remember. Think of it as your first lesson."

"Okay."

"You yearn to become something like me. You crave to be the greatest. What's the point of craving an end? Once you become the greatest, then what? You sit with it in your hand like a prize, and it's all over. You're left thinking that achieving that desire was what made it all worth while. Well it's not Dannie, becoming the greatest isn't what makes all those jobs and fights and capers worth while…it's indeed quite the opposite. All those jobs you delight in pulling off, all the fights and pain you endured…that's what makes becoming the greatest worth while. It's the journey, not the end result. Don't forget that."

And with that, Joker stood up, sighed heavily, then made his way to Harleys room.

Jasper kissed Danielle on the cheek, "You feel better?"

"Yea, I do. But he shouldn't blame himself. It's not his fault."

"Sweetie girl? You sure you okay?" Harley asked.

"Yea, I'm fine. I already feel better about dad knowing, is he going to be okay?"

"I'll check on him, you two turn on the television and take a breather kay?"

Harley entered the room a few minutes later and found Joker wound tightly in one of her thin sheets. His coat and undershirts had been tossed onto the floor as well as his slacks and shoes. She crawled onto the bed and spooned him from the back; she then slowly reached one arm over him and pressed her hand against his tummy. "It's okay."

"How is it okay? My daughter was raped."

"It isn't your fault, she doesn't blame you, I don't blame you. You couldn't do anything about it, nothing to prevent it."

His body shook against her, fighting back emotions, "I _hate_ you…"

It hurt, but she let him vent out his withheld emotions that practically died to escape, "Why do you hate me?"

"If you never showed up, none of this would have happened. We wouldn't have fallen in love, my sweet Dannie would have never been born, she wouldn't have had to go through life the way she did, she wouldn't have been hurt by that worm Oswald, she wouldn't have been raped! I hate you! You and all your damn woman tricks to make me fall in love with you!"

"I didn't make you fall in love with me Puddin'..."

"Then who did?! It wasn't me!"

"I think it just happened. It was something we couldn't really control Pud." His body convulsed and he curled up tighter. "Aw baby," and she crawled over his body and repositioned herself to be face to face with him.

His eyes were red and painful looking, a sea of purple surrounded by unrelenting fire. Joker grabbed her hand and pulled it up to his mouth. Pressing his lips against her hand he spoke, "I _hate you_!"

"Please stop saying that, it hurts Mistah J."

He gritted his teeth and spoke through them, growling in hatred, "_I hate you Harley Quinn_!"

Her jaw trembled, "Okay," and eyes began to fill with fresh baby tears.

He cried but wasn't loud about it. Just let his emotions run wildly. As he spoke, his voice cracked and splintered, "Harley?"

"Yea?" she squeaked in a fight to fend off her tears.

"Do you remember _why_ I told you I fell in love with you?"

Slowly she nodded. She could never forget any word he ever mumbled to her. "Because I gave you a chance."

"Damn you for giving me a chance Harleen Quinzel."

Harley blinked and those few newborn tears ran free. He hadn't an idea of how much this was hurting her, at least she implored he didn't.

"_Damn_ you."

Then she felt his familiar finger curve under her chin and his wonderful lips press against hers. Not a doubt in the world she kissed right back with thankful tears. Joyful amounts of thankful tears.

Joker planted pecks and kisses along her mouth and jaw and cheeks and neck, not sure where to start or end in his apology to her. "Harley..."

"It's okay," she smiled, "it's okay! Ya don't hate me do ya Puddin'?"

"No," he shook his head, "I don't hate you."

"Ya still love me?"

"I told you long ago that no matter what I say, you should always remember that I'll still love you."

"Oh!" she latched on to him and kissed his neck, causing him to finally smirk. "You scared me!"

"I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't know how else to react. I never thought something like that would ever happen to Dannie…I was never in the slightest prepared. My god Harley, our daughter was raped. I acted foolish, I just got up and left her."

"Considering you're The Joker, I think you acted just fine. And she's worried about you, not angry at all that you got up and left. She just kept asking if you were okay," she gave another smile and kissed the tip of his nose.

He smiled back, hating himself for letting his daughter be hurt, but understanding that it had happened and there was really no use in 'crying' over it. What needed to be done was to find the ill creature that hurt her and figure out why.

"Joker! Joker!" Jasper banged harshly against the door.

"What the hell do you want?!"

"You have to see this, hurry!"

* * *

**_Please leave a review, thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed this chapter._**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Joker!" Jasper shouted again in an attempt to hurry him.

And just as soon as Jasper had called out again, Joker threw open the door, still unclothed and only presenting himself with a pair of yellow smiley face boxers. "What the hell do you need me to so urgently see? If you aren't aware, I'm not too pleased with you…" He pushed forward to Jasper and toned his voice to a secretive level, keeping his words low enough for Harley not to hear. "I do believe it's quite aware that you didn't protect my daughter, you let her out of your sights, and you didn't let me know. I'll rip your measly tongue out for that inexcusable act!"

"That's not how it happened! I protected her!"

"How did you protect her?! She was kidnapped for four days and tortured! If you _were_ protecting and watching her that wouldn't have happened now would it?"

"At least I was there for her! More than you can say. What with sitting in Arkham twiddling your thumbs and hiding like the fool you are! Leaving your own family in the blink of an eye without any conceivable warning! You haven't the slightest idea of how much you tortured Danielle yourself! She just told you she was raped and you walk away! What type of father are you?"

"You miserable little nobody!" Joker lunged at Jasper and forced him backwards until his back hit the opposite wall of the hallway. "I gave you what you wanted, you gained entrance into the Rogues Gallery, and for that you disobey my orders and put Danielle straight into danger! And that somehow gives you the right to degrade me and question my acts? You evidently haven't the smallest idea yourself on what procedures I went through to guard my family!"

"So what are you going to do? Let go of me? Or sit here and pin me up against a wall in smiling boxers? And lecture and threaten me while this entire apartment complex is bordered by Gordon and the GCPD?!"

"What?"

Harley stepped out of her room holding the baby hyena she had received in her hands, "What's going on?"

"We're surrounded by Gordon and his men," Jasper said. "We have to get out of here."

She held the pup to her chest, "How…how do you know?"

Joker ran to the living room where he heard the sounds from the television playing softly, and there he saw his daughter standing in front of the screen in an awestruck stance. The glowing from the set played along her features, along her cheeks and nose and perfect smile that grew heedlessly. He just wanted to stare at her profile forever.

She looked so much like Harley it was challenging to comprehend how such magic could occur. The way her face was structured, from her brow to her chin, it was just like Harley. Subtle features broke the likeness however. Such as the pigment of her skin, it was just a shade or two paler than Harley's was, and of course the color of her captivating eyes were purple and deep.

It was subtle in her appearance, but he could see part of him in her. And though he had seen both Harley and himself in Danielle before, it was extraordinary to see it again in such splendor and quantity.

Joker walked up to Danielle in her silent stance, "Dannie?"

"Look at the news dad the whole apartment is surrounded…it's so great!"

"Yes, quite exciting."

He stood by her side staring at the television as well. Helicopters were broadcasting the scene from up above the building, providing great coverage to where the police were located. And as he so clearly saw, they were positioned around every exit and entrance, besides one.

"_After tedious minutes of questioning we are able to suggest that at least three of Gotham's most prestigious villains are located within this apartment complex. Not only are these villains considered to be highly dangerous, they are said to include Harley Quinn and The Joker." _

"_The Joker, locked away in Arkham Asylum for more then ten years, was thought to have finally given up on his plot to destroy The Batman and Gotham City. However, after a notice from Arkham Asylum last night, it was indicated that The Joker had finally escaped his cell once again. It is said that Danielle Quinn, said to be inside the apartment and disgracefully known as The Joker's and Harley's daughter, had in fact visited him just hours before his escape along side her mother Harley. Because no one was present during the family visit, no one knows what words were exchanged during the stay between the three individuals. However, police say they have no reason to suspect that Harley or Danielle Quinn are involved with The Jokers escape or hidden agenda."_

"_Last on the list of villains said to be within the building is the newest addition to The Batman's large line of foes. Citizens of Gotham describe his doings as 'charged' and 'forceful' and say he seems to 'know exactly what's coming next'. He has been constantly given the name The Rush for reasons that constitute to his adrenaline pumped behavior and his hasty activities when battling against the police and The Batman. Police report that The Rush is to be considered highly intelligent and fatally dangerous."_

"Hey Jasper!" Danielle called out in glee.

He rounded the corner with a gun in his hand, loading it with a full clip and preparing himself for what was to come, "Yes baby love?"

"You got your villain name! They're calling you The Rush!"

"The Rush?" he questioned. "That's not too bad."

Danielle raced over to him and threw her arms around him in dedicated brilliance, "You finally got one! You did it! I'm so proud of you…"

Harley rounded the corner now and appeared out of the hallway with the two baby hyenas in her hands. Her eyes were large and alert and she hugged the babies close to her chest in excitement, "I got the babies! I'm ready to roll! What's the plan?!"

All three turned to her and stared for a moment until Joker chuckled, "Geesh Harley..."

"I finally feel like me again! It's been so long since I've experienced the hype of the chase! The glory of the run! The…the…"

"The warm sensation of a hyena's urine?" Joker questioned.

"Yea, that. I'm gonna go change my shirt real quick kay?"

Danielle laughed, "So, what _do_ we do?"

"Before we decide what we're going to do, I'm sorry for leaving you like that."

"Dad, it's okay. Really, I'm not mad, I'm not upset. I love you but come on; you need to get over it already. I understand why you left, I understand you didn't intend for me to get hurt so please, get over it! Now let's get out of here so we can cause some smiles together in the future!"

Joker smiled and hugged her tight, "You're so great! I just don't want you to be displeased with me sugar pop."

"I think before we get out of here though, you should possibly put on some clothes?"

"That may be a good idea," he agreed and dashed back into Harley's room to dress himself.

Danielle looked at Jasper and smiled at his demeanor she had seen so much of. He was in his usual pacing mode, the same he always did when he was thinking of a plan or possible technique to use to get out of a tight situation. His brow would always hunch over his eyes, and his eyes would always stray away and explore a distant land only he could possibly imagine.

She walked up to his side and grabbed his hand, "You got a plan for us to get out of here, you highly intelligent villain you?"

Jasper stopped and smirked at her, "Is that what they said?"

"Oh no! I've gone and stroked your ego…" she let go of his hand and pranced over to the couch, plopped herself down, and then let a large smile sweep over her. "How dare I!"

Harley came back out with a brand new shirt and a black and red backpack hung over her shoulder, "Alright, this time I'm ready!"

"What's in the bag Harl? Joker reemerged as well and tied his bow around his neck.

"The babies of course! I'm not lettin' these two precious jewels outta my sight!"

Joker smiled at her bubbly excitement. She had without a mere doubt kept her lively demeanor impact and ready to use throughout the many years he had been without her.

A loud heavy voice blared just outside the apartment room door, "This is the police! Open the door!"

"Gumball, gun, now!" Joker demanded sternly with an open and expectant hand.

Without much further thought in his bosses command, Jasper reached into his coat and withdrew a gun. Faithfully he examined it, making sure the weapon he chose was of a brilliant stature that would fit Jokers needs. After all, Joker had found out the secret he'd been keeping, he messed up in the orders he was given. And that meant that if he stepped wrong in just the tiniest way…somehow spoke or even looked at Joker in some askew depiction that didn't fancy to Joker's liking, he could end up dead. And he had already been scraping those boundaries dangerously. Jasper in no way wanted to anger his superior further, and with that he tossed the black gun towards Joker and bowed his head toward the previous gun he had in his hand.

Danielle shot a speculating and curious eye towards Jasper. Through all the days she had ever known him, he had always been so degrading and derogatory towards her father. Yet, when her father demanded just one gun, Jasper responded like a dog on a leash. He hadn't even hesitated, hadn't even glared at her father in the usual way he did when they spoke about him. For usually, his eyes would redden, and his mouth would straighten or even sometimes curve down into a malicious heart wrenching scowl that burned and grew into a fiery blaze of hatred directed at him. And now he was obliging to even the simplest of commands…it was puzzling.

Costively she stood from her spot and indolently crept her way back to Jaspers side. All the while his eyes seemed hidden, ashamed.

"What's the matter? You're usually pretty excited and bundling with fizzing energy when you're about to have a tussle." She asked quietly.

"I'm perfectly fine."

His response was quick, roused and angry, but she didn't falter. As Jasper finally led his agitated green eyes to Danielle's calm ones, she collectedly stared back then fluently folded her hands behind her back, "Kay."

Joker looked out through the peephole and smiled. There were about six or seven of them all bundled together with full black suits and heavy artillery. He gave a short chuckle; they were all scared out of their pathetic wits.

"Open the door now! You have fifteen seconds! Fifteen…fourteen…thirteen…twelve…"

He swiped his tongue over his madly grinning teeth, his ambience surely sinister and threatening. "Alright everybody, as far away from the door as you can now…"

"Nine…eight…seven…"

Seeing as Joker was already moving to the back of the room, the rest of the gang followed immediately. "Jasper, an exploding device of some sort if you will?"

"One sec," he reached into his pocket and searched.

"Four…three…"

"A little faster gumball."

"I'm looking!"

His hands scurried throughout different pockets, making a mad dash in order to find anything that would do.

"Hurry up Jasper! Find it!"

"Hold on tight babies!"

"Two…one…"

Jasper withdrew a grenade and hurriedly pressed it into Jokers waiting hand just as the front door blew open in a splintering frenzy.

"Hands up! Don't move!" An army of guns pointed at them like hungry vultures but none of the four targets flinched in the slightest. As the first row of S.W.A.T. officers all kneeled down so that the officers behind them could have a clean shot, Joker pressed the lever in and then pulled out the hinge pin from the grenade.

Another officer saw this and he stood up sharply, "He's got a grenade!"

"How _nice_ of you to have noticed! But that's not the only thing I have up my sleeve."

A tiny almost remote hiss began to overtake the seriousness of the situation. One officer who was kneeling by the doorway turned his head to locate the mysterious hissing noise, and then suddenly and awkwardly stammered in his words. "It's a…it's a ca-n of, of…heh…a can of laugh, ha-ha…_laugh_, of Smilex!"

The officers soon all began to chuckle and drop their weapons, and Joker lifted his hands into the air and began to orchestrate his laughing symphony. After another moment of his harmonizing, he tossed the grenade over to the mass of officers.

"Everybody down!" he giggled happily.

He watched all three of them plug their ears and drop to the ground. Harley's eyes were bright but calm, and Jaspers were determined and ready, and his sweet Dannie's were eager and enjoying the show. Just as his were doing.

The grenade went off and Jasper was quick in his response to move in front of Danielle and protect her from random debris.

"You blew the audience away fellas!" Joker laughed and instantly stood up, making his way back to the apartment door, admiring his work of now gory surroundings.

The wall that held the entrance door was now almost completely gone and obliterated, part of the floor was wiped out as well as the ceiling and surrounding walls, and a new fresh coat of dark red blood had been splattered radiantly over most of the area.

Joker exited the apartment, but looked back when he noticed no one was following, "Well come on! We've no time to just stand around."

"Coming!" Danielle cheerfully bubbled, and she skipped over the dead accumulation of officers and to her father.

Jasper helped himself up off the ground, and then offered a helping hand to Harley, which she gladly took, "I don't understand why he used his Smilex and a grenade. Smilex would have stopped em just fine."

"True, his Smilex would have made them helpless. But by using the grenade as well," Jasper explained, "he created a rather spacious hole in the hallway, see?"

They neared the hole and Harley nodded, "Yup that's a pretty big hole."

"By making that blockade he's stopped further officers from coming up to this level of the apartment and following us. You see, the elevator and stairway are on that side of the hole, and were going the opposite way. It was clever, kill two birds with one stone…or a grenade in his case."

"You understand why he does things?"

"Well, most of the time yes. I would have done the same thing, now come on."

The four of them lined up against the hallway wall and Joker peeked around the corner making sure the area was clear. Seeing how it was, he grabbed Danielle's hand and led the way, his gun prepared and ready to shoot at anyone that got in his way.

"Alright princess," Joker began as he neared a window that was at the end of the hall, "You go first alright?"

"We're six stories up, that's a pretty big fall you know dad."

"I know that. Jasper?"

He was there in a flash already pulling out a long rope he had in his coat, "This is good for four stories Danielle, when you reach the end of the rope, you're going to have to drop about twenty feet. When you drop, you need to keep your arms close to your body, if you throw them out to break the fall you'll end up getting hurt. Be aware of your head position; keep it up and away from hitting the ground. Fall with your body and roll through it using the inertia of the fall. Understand?"

"I understand."

"Alright," he tied the rope around her abdomen in such a way that she could slide down the rope safely. "Here," he handed her a gun, "just in case." Jasper then tied the end of the rope around his own waist and readied himself.

"Why do I have to go first?"

"Because this floor is unstable since that grenade, and that hole I created won't stop the police for too long, just long enough and I want you safe first. Now go on!"

"Kay dad."

She began her decent and Jasper pressed his feet against the wall just beneath the window to support her weight. She instinctively pushed off the wall every now and again, and was completely comfortable in her position, she even managed to look up at her father and grin, "How's it goin'?"

"Pretty good, you doing okay?"

"Yup, about two more floors right?"

"Right sweet heart."

"Be careful Dannie!" Harley called out, as if this were the most dangerous thing she could ever be doing.

"I'm just going down a building mom…gosh."

"But you're my baby girl! I don't want ya to get hurt!"

She reached the end of the rope and without any apprehension she undid the rope from around her waist and dropped. Remembering Jaspers advice, she rolled when she made impact and then instantly jumped up and dusted off her jeans.

When Danielle looked back up she could already see her mother begin to descend, "That was fun! I want to do it again!"

As soon as Harley reached the ground, Jasper looked to Joker, "Go ahead Boss."

"Any idea how you're going to get out of this building if I go first? No one will be able to hold onto the rope, meaning you can't go down it."

"I'm aware of that, and I'll find a way."

As Joker tied the rope around his waist, he looked to Jasper, "I want you to work for me at my home. With Harley, Danielle and I. Make it a full-time thing."

"I thought you didn't trust me."

"I figure I ought to give you a chance where I can at least observe you. And you obviously make Danielle happy, and if Danielle is happy, then I'm happy. Not to mention I have a few questions and discussions I'd like to have with you."

"You think I make her happy?"

"I can tell she's happier when you're around, yes. Don't let it go to your head gumball. Are you going to agree to work for me?"

"Do I have much of a choice?" he pointed to his liver and Joker smiled.

"Not much of one, no."

"Then yes. But how are we going to explain to Harley and Danielle why I'm sticking around the house twenty-four seven?"

"That, I'll take care of personally." With that said, he went out the window, leaving Jasper behind with only a few weapons and a whole lot of questions.

Danielle held the gun she had received in her hands and looked it over with great and intense care. As Joker dropped down by their sides, he snatched the gun away from her, "Do you even know how to use one of these?"

"Nope! But I like holdin' one! Hey, where's Jasper?"

"He can't come down this way, no one would be able to hold the rope for him."

"Oh," her voice seemed to die down just a tad, "well, he'll get out. He's smart he'll find a way."

"Good girl Dannie," Harley praised her optimism justly.

The two of them followed Joker down the tight alleyway. Harley giggled every now and again as the hyenas in her pack would tickle against her as they pawed away humorously.

It was the only plausible way of getting out of the apartment. With the helicopters great aerial view of all the blocked passageways and exits, this was the safest and surest way of escaping. So Joker took it.

He stopped at the end of the alley and hugged his back against the wall; they were only about fifteen feet away from the main street. From this spot he could see a few police cars down to the right of the street, and a massive build up of officers and armored vehicles to the left where the entrance to the building was located.

Fatherly, he grabbed his daughter's hand and looked her straight in the eyes, "You don't let go of my hand unless I tell you to, got it?"

"Got it."

He moved Danielle in front of him and pressed her back against his front, "You need to act like a hostage. Put your arms up, look tense and nervous, and keep your mouth shut like your scared to talk."

"Kay," she winced at the pressure he applied to her wrist, but knew it was necessary.

"I'm going to press this gun to your temple, but it's not loaded."

She nodded and practiced her breathing. She didn't want to blow this; she didn't want to disappoint her father. It was a simple command, act like a hostage, act your part. So she'd put her all into it.

"Harley come here."

She pranced over to him, "Yea Puddin'?"

"I want you to take this gun," he handed her the gun he had gotten earlier, "and come out in three minutes, aiming it at me. It's the only way they'll think you're on their side."

"Gotcha, I play the role of the crazed momma who wants her baby back! But I don't understand how this is gonna work."

"It'll work Pooh, it always does. Ready Dannie?"

She nodded again, not speaking, not wanting to ruin her part. This was it, all those years of begging and wishing she could just taste a small portion of what her father did, and now she was getting the chance. It was exciting and whirling with never ending passion and it moved her soul in such a way she couldn't devotedly describe. It ached, and candidly throbbed in her mind at the amount of pleasure she was gaining from this. This was what she wanted. If there was ever a doubt in her scintillating mind before, it was now deservedly annihilated. This was her rightful position in her truly ghastly surroundings. Her true mark in civilization was to be an offender towards the self-righteous citizens of Gotham. It felt so unbelievably right.

Joker pushed her forward and she stumbled in her acting on purpose. It was almost immediate how the police and choppers all gazed eyes on them, flashing lights and aiming guns.

"Commissioner! The Joker! He has a hostage, seems to be his daughter."

"What?" Gordon looked to where all the weapons were being pointed, and sure enough, Joker came out informally from the shadows. "I want road blocks on the east and west end of this street and intersecting ones. No one shoots unless I say so, hold your fire!"

"Why Commissioner _Gordon_! It's been forever! Have you met my daughter? You've heard of her at least I'm sure…"

"Get me a megaphone!" One was handed to him within a fraction of a second and he cleared his voice properly, "Joker, pretty quick to strike huh? You just got out of Arkham yesterday."

"Mmhmm, I just had to see my daughter again you understand." He jerked Danielle just a little and she winced perfectly on cue. "She came to visit her pa yesterday and well, she has quite the mind. It could be beneficial in certain circumstances."

"I happen to know Danielle personally, she does have quite the mind. I also know she has a lot of respect for you despite your constant attraction of causing harm to this wonderful city and citizens. Why don't you let her go? I see no need for her to get hurt in all this."

Joker rested his chin on her shoulder and pressed his cheek against hers. He whispered just then and it caught Danielle off guard.

"_Jasper, where do you happen to be?_"

She didn't give up her performance though; she still acted like the helpless hostage she was indicated to be. Then something seemed to speak back to her father but she couldn't really make out what the voice was saying. Obviously it had to be Jaspers, and somehow they were communicating back and forth.

"_Act like you're surrendering and then get your ass down here!_"

Danielle felt Joker turn into her, and she hid her smile as she felt Joker give her a protective loving kiss on the cheek, "You know I love you Danielle?" he asked loudly.

She swallowed then acknowledged with a hasty nod.

"My pride and joy…"

She repeated her actions.

He rested his cheek on top of her head and smiled at Gordon, "You see Gordo? She knows I love her…she's such a good girl. And you love me Dannie?"

"Yes," she chocked and a slick tear slid down her cheek.

"Joker, you're making your own daughter cry. Can't you see this isn't right? Let her be, let her be safe, don't let her get hurt again."

"Aw…is my glorious little angel crying out of fear?" he turned her around harshly and the sound of guns being repositioned sounded off with clicks and clacks. "No…why…these are tears of happiness! Tell them you're happy princess…"

"I'm…I'm happy."

"See? Happier than a-" he paused when the feel of cold metal touched the back of his head, but he smiled, "Harley?"

"Let her go Mistah J, she's our baby girl and this ain't right. You know it too."

Gordon watched the deranged family in the middle of the street and he was gaining a headache from the bizarreness of it, "Miss Quinzel, please don't further this. Drop your weapon now!"

"He's mine Gordon! He ups and leaves and then shows up eleven years later demanding that Danielle become something hideous like him? I won't have it! I worked hard at gettin' our lives back on track…she deserves a safe life!"

Up overhead, a helicopter began to lower just slightly, and soon long black ropes began to drop from it and officers began to shimmy down them.

"I gave no order for that chopper to give more ground support! Who issued that order?"

Three fully suited officers with helmets and black visor shields dropped to the ground. Two of them kneeled down and aimed their weapons at the arguing targets in the middle of the street. The other officer scurried closer to his objective, his gun raised and ready to fire.

Gordon screamed into his megaphone, "Fall back! That's an order! What are you doing?!"

The brave officer neared even closer to Joker and Harley, "Drop your weapons! Or I will use force! Now!"

Joker turned to the officer, and seeing as he had an incredibly clean shot aimed right as his head, he offered a proposal, "I'll drop my weapon if Harley does, and Gordon orders everyone besides this fellow here to drop their weapons to the ground as well."

"Done! Put down your weapons…everyone! Put em' down!"

Joker felt Harley's gun move away and he simultaneously turned to make sure all the officers had obliged to Gordon's command and it seemed they all had. He gripped Danielle hard around the wrist and he halfheartedly dropped his gun to the floor.

"Let go of the girl!" The officer kicked away Joker's fallen gun. "Hands up!"

"You're going back to Arkham where you belong Joker," Gordon quipped.

Joker lifted his hands into the air and Harley reluctantly followed suit, "Danielle comes with us."

"No," Gordon replied, "she'll come with us to the station where she's safe Joker. You need to get help, and as for Harley, I want her reevaluated at Arkham as well."

Danielle quietly spoke up, "Can I…can I just go with him? I know he's dangerous but he's also my dad. Just because he kills people doesn't mean that deep down I don't love him. Let me at least have one more time together with him? Isn't that the least I can ask for considering all I've been through Commissioner? Isn't it?"

Gordon set down his megaphone and entered the area sorrowfully, "Danielle, you're a strong girl, and you make strong decisions…but this isn't one of them. Say your goodbye here."

"I want to go with him," her eyes burned red, obviously the plan, whatever her father had imagined, had backfired. She wanted to go with her parents. This was horrible, and for some reason all she could do was blame herself. "Dad, I'm sorry!"

Gordon stared at Danielle confusedly, "What are you sorry for? He's the one who had a gun glued to your temple."

Joker still held her wrist but it was gentle now, and his loving daughter turned into him and sobbed against his chest, "Please don't take him from me again!"

"Danielle, you know I can't let you go with them."

"Please! Please don't! Just let me go!" Danielle scrunched folds of her father's coat into her hands and looked up at him pleadingly. "_Do something…please!_"

She felt Gordon's hand rest on her shoulder, "Come on, we'll get you some warm food and-"

"No!" she yanked away from him and into her father even more, "don't touch me!"

Joker let go of her wrist finally, and hugged her back as she rested the side of her face against his chest again. Harley walked up to them and she stroked away the tears that dirtied her daughter's skin, "It's okay baby girl. It's okay you'll be safe now, no more of this crazy stuff, and you can come by and visit us…don't cry sweetie."

"I've never been alone…I've always had one of you there for me. I just want go with you! Please! Don't leave me!"

The officer still had his gun drawn at Joker and he tilted his head down as if he really did feel for Danielle.

Gordon placed his hands on his hips and sighed, "Officer, what's your name?"

"Officer Strider, sir."

"You must be new, never go against my orders like that again…but otherwise good job. I want you to go with these two on their route to Arkham Asylum, make sure they don't create their usual funny business and try to escape. I also want you to make sure that this young lady, who will accompany them, is kept safe and protected from any harm. Can you do that rookie?"

"It's my job."

Danielle gleefully sobbed a smile into her father's chest then let go and hugged Harley tight as well. "Thank you!"

"Ah, I don't know what I'm doing…be safe. Alright you two!" He called the other two officers who had descended from the helicopter as well, "You're sitting in the truck with this gang. Danielle is to be brought back to the station for questioning as soon as possible, understood?"

"Yes sir."

Officer Strider loaded the three into the back of an armored vehicle and then waited as the other two officers hopped inside. He watched as Joker and Harley were cuffed and secured, then he jumped in himself and closed the doors behind him. Once everyone was properly seated, he removed his radio and spoke into it, "Ready to go."

The truck began to move and Danielle cuddled in between her parents, "How far is Arkham from here?"

"About forty minutes princess."

"That's not very long," she drooped her head down in sadness and carefully handled the backpack that held the babies. "Can we name yours Penn mom?"

"Yea baby girl," Harley made eye contact with Joker, "what went wrong?"

"Jasper never showed up. I trusted him and he never showed up, that was foolish on my part."

They spoke together not caring that the three officers were right across from them, able to listen in if they really desired to.

But at this point, what did it really matter?

Their family was getting split up again. In a course of fifteen minutes they had been on top of the world, happy and together. And now they were burning in a deep and fiery escapeless pit.

* * *

**Oh my...**

**Sorry for the long update, busy busy and all that. PLEASE tell me if something just does not make sense at all in this chapter, I was dead tired (still am) when I edited it and would greatly appreciate it if you'd let me know. Thanks and hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Hopefully I can update sooner with the next one. For now I slumber :)**

**Please review.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Breathless minutes had passed, each one seeming to die a little quicker. They would come and then go just as quick as they had emerged and she felt she could do nothing, nothing at all to relinquish her drooling thoughts of shame and heartache. Here she was right between the two people she loved and adored like no other and they were being taken away from her. Not even a mere day had she finally received the marvelous gift of the reemergence of her father, the gratifying and greatest present of knowing that her family was finally going to be together again, happy and smiling just like those many years ago…and yet she could do nothing but question her predicament. She felt her sore tears sting at the corner of her angry eyes and she violently cowered into her father's shoulder.

"You're leaving me again."

"No…no I'm not leaving you again DD, I'll never leave I'll always be here."

Danielle hugged her father and Officer Strider coursed his eyes to the small family opposite him, "I don't advise you make much more contact with him Miss, he's dangerous."

"You think I'd hurt my daughter officer?"

"You had a gun pressed against her skull, I'm pretty sure it's obvious you were going to hurt her if I hadn't shown up. You probably think she's nothing, that she's just a-"

"Shut your mouth!" Joker lunged forward as far as he could toward the officer and yelled harshly in vibrant fury, "I think nothing less of her than a god!"

But the officer only shrugged, not frightened by Joker's jumping, "Nothing less than the god of trash?"

"I'll rip you apart, limb by limb!" he yanked at his restraints that were attached to the wall of the truck, just begging for them to snap so he could keep his word and attack the ill fated guard.

"Come on clown, you know you can't break those."

"The hell I can't!"

One guard chuckled, "Look at him go! Ya got him all riled up rook…"

Danielle pushed to her mother at her father's agitation and quietly comforted herself in Harley's motherly warmth, watching her father's rage boil endlessly.

The rookie, Officer Strider, adjusted his helmet and black face mask after nodding conceitedly to his fellow officer's comment, but a plague of guilt overtook him as he again glanced over to Danielle and noticed her depressed demeanor. "Are you alright? You aren't hurt are you?"

"Don't talk to her! Don't even look at her!"

"Easy Joker," the chuckling guard spoke and aimed his gun at the furious clown's face.

"Mistah J! Sit down!"

"Don't worry, just tranquilizer darts in this gun. Real guns right here," he pointed to his pistol holster nonchalantly, "so just sit back and shut up."

"You talk to one of my girls in a way that I believe to be rude again and your head will be mounted on my wall!"

"Yea yea…just everyone pipe down."

Joker made one last thrust forward in his exploding rage and could just barely feel one link in his restraint give slightly. With that extra give however, he huffed a pout and sat back down. Even he knew that taking on three armed guards alone with weapons in such small surroundings was suicide. Now of course Danielle wasn't secured down, but he couldn't put trust in her abilities to fight, she wasn't ready or skilled in that area yet.

"Dannie…" he smiled and turned his lowered head toward her, "come here."

She looked to her mother and then at the guards, crawling her way back to The Joker's spot. She snuggled back into his side still staring at the officers across from her then devotedly pressed her cheek against Joker's shoulder, "What?"

Joker scrunched his nose and gave another smile as he pestered the back of her ear with a quiet whisper, "Want to do daddy a favor?"

His words were so menacing but she hid her grin and gave a small secretive nod.

"Good, one of the links in the chain on my left restraint gave a little. I want you to slip that link out so I can have at least one arm free. But you have to be careful, one look see from any of those officers and I get a nice dose of happy juice from a tranquilizer gun…possibly even a bullet…" Her eyes went wide at his last statement and Joker giggled, "So no _pressure_ princess."

She sighed still keeping her sights on the officers, and then casually pressed her back against his side and sneakily began gliding her finger across each link and examining them with her touch.

Joker rested his chin on top of Danielle's head and smirked at Harley who seemed to be getting nervous. He just knew she was racing with thoughts on how their little Dannie was going to manage on her own now that her parents were going to be back in Arkham. He could see it in her eyes, the way they were almost frozen into an icy and lifeless glare at the ground, she thought they were trapped and there was no way out. It pained him to see that. He did love her so. "Harley."

Soon her frozen eyes had shattered and she looked to Joker through a hood of long unhappy lashes. She caught his charming smile and then barely opened her mouth to plead for him to do something, anything, but he silently shushed her with his lips and then smiled again.

She bit the inside of her lip before taking in a quick breath, making it impossible for her to stop a speedy tear from breaking out of her gloomy eyes.

"_Aw…_" he frowned exaggeratingly which caused Harley to at least let out a short laugh. She wiped away her tear with her shoulder and watched Joker lean toward her, his eyes docile and wanting, and then decided to lean as far as she could to him.

"_Pud'…do somethin'._"

"Both of you sit back in your spots, stop movin' around."

Joker created a single chuckle in his throat and pressed the tip of his lips against his harlequin's. "_Everything will be fine._"

"That's disgusting," the third guard gagged and turned his head away.

"That's enough, get back to your spots."

Harley's entire being seemed to melt from the kiss she had received, and so she swooned back to her corner letting her eyes flutter in pure bliss. Once Joker too was back to his seat Danielle leaned her head back to his ear, "_I found the link…but it still isn't loose enough for me to slip it off the other links. You're going to have to give it another yank._"

"Danielle, is it?"

She looked to Officer Strider, surprised he had talked to her, "Yes."

"I'm going to have to ask you to stay put in your seat. I know you want to be close to your dad, but it'd make me feel more comfortable if you weren't so close to him. I'm sorry."

Danielle nodded and slid away from her father, keeping her eye peeled on the officer. "Sure, no problem."

"Thank you. So how old are you?"

Joker looked angered by the officer's questioning but he let it continue, eager to hear how Danielle would respond.

"I'm sixteen. My birthday was yesterday."

"Oh really? Well happy birthday to you."

"Thanks. So you're a rookie?"

"That I am, first year on the force."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-one. I know it's young but, I passed my tests with flying colors."

Danielle scooted closer to Joker until she was once again by his side, however this time the guard wasn't protesting her decision. "Flying colors huh?"

"Yea…you know a pretty girl like you shouldn't get tied in with criminals like these. You could have a bright future without them. You should embrace this opportunity as a sign."

"These criminals happen to be my parents and I love them regardless of what they do."

Officer Strider smiled, "I'm sure you do. I'm just giving you my two cents on the subject and you don't have to agree with it. I'd just hate to see a smart girl like you get hurt because she wanted to be like her parents."

"Who said I wanted to be like them?"

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time Gotham has seen a child of high class criminals follow in their parent's steps."

"Rest assured," she lied, "I'd never want to do what they do. It's wrong, but I still love them. They raised me and brought me up and I think I've come out somewhat decent."

"From what you say, I think you've grown into something that's more than decent. You're a special girl and you'll have a bright future. I bet you'll even make some guy truly happy."

Danielle raised a brow and crossed her arms, "Excuse me?"

"Oh now you've done it," Joker giggled.

"I didn't mean to upset you, I was just saying you'll make someone very happy in the future."

"And you think I'm not making someone happy now?"

"Oh…well no I just assumed that-"

"Exactly, you assumed. What is it with Gotham and thinking that Danielle Diamond Quinn can't possibly have a boyfriend? I mean it's just unfathomable right?! The daughter of The Joker and Harley Quinn? Having a boyfriend that actually loves her?! Unbelievable and with out a doubt a lie!"

"Look, really I'm sorry."

"I'll let you know, _officer Strider_, that I have the _greatest_ boyfriend who would do _anything_ for me! He'd _jump_ off a building, _run_ through fire, _rob_ a bank, and even be a kindergarten teacher if he knew it'd make me happy!"

"Do you love him?"

"…What?"

"Do you love him? Do you love your boyfriend?"

She stared long and hard at the officer, questioning such an abrupt question. "Why do you ask?"

"It just seems that he loves you a lot from what you say. Is the feeling mutual? I'm curious."

"Maybe your curiosity has run a bit too far…"

"Perhaps it has."

She narrowed her eyes in her own curiosity, "Do you make someone happy…officer?"

Casually he looked to the floor of the truck, a small smile creeping on his face as he rubbed his knee, "I'd like to think so."

"But…you don't know for certain do you? You think for the most part, sure possibly. But deep down it troubles you, day after day, night after night. Are you just living a lie with 'the girl of your dreams'? Or are your acts of affection and 'on your knees' begging of approval really worth it?"

He shot his glare back up to her, "I think you've drawn the line there."

"I've barely pressed the pen to the paper…"

"You're completely wrong, I make her happy."

"Oh I never you said you didn't!" she lightheartedly explained, "Just…you don't know for certain if you do or not. I think you make her happy, you just question yourself."

Joker was fanatically excited at his daughter's words and readings. It was truly remarkable and imaginative and he never wanted to stop watching her play this officer's mind. "I promise you, she didn't pick up my rude habits. Must have gotten those from Harley…"

As Joker spoke, Danielle let her finger glide over the broken link in her father's restraint again, trying this time to pry it open herself.

"Of course not," Officer Strider managed to grin, "and I don't think it rude at all. I questioned her, she questioned me. It's fine." Then very serenely the officer tilted his head, "Danielle?"

She prayed he hadn't seen her snooping, and slowly let her eyes dance to his black mask. Instead of a strict warning or even a harshly aimed gun however, she surprisingly saw a very secretive finger rise up from his lap, a sign she could only read as 'wait'.

"I'm sorry for my rude actions, that was very inappropriate of me to jump to conclusions."

She nodded, "That's alright," then watched Officer Strider's finger lower back down to his lap.

"How much longer to Arkham?" Strider asked the guard beside him, "This seat isn't too comfortable on the back."

The officer laughed and pulled out his radio, "Never is rookie...where's our location at Henderson? The rookie back here is gettin' antsy."

"_We just got onto the outskirts of Gotham, in about two minutes we'll be crossing over the Arkham Bridge. From there, it's about another ten to fifteen minutes._"

"Got it, thanks Henderson."

Strider popped his neck, and then laid his hand on the gun in his holster. "Arkham Bridge, that was where that last escapee from Arkham committed suicide right?"

"Yea," the officer's voice seemed to die in shame, "he escaped and everything, but he didn't count on the cops arrivin'. By that time, he was too afraid and decided to end it then and there. If you ask me, dying is better than being taken back to Arkham Asylum. I can't blame the guy for doing what he did."

"Would you have jumped?" the other officer joined in.

"Hell, who knows. I would say no, but who can really say yes or no before that situation arises."

"I think you would…"

"Who asked you clown?"

"No one…but…well…"

"Well what?"

He shrugged, "I mean considering the patient who escaped just happened to be your father and all…it'd be sort of an ironic twist! Why not…follow in your father's falling steps?"

"That was your dad man?"

"…No, no it wasn't my dad!"

"No?" Joker seemed amazed, "aren't you Officer Cortez?"

"Yea…"

"And the loony who jumped off the bridge…why…he just happened to be, if my memory serves me right, Victor Cortez."

"So, we share the last name. That doesn't mean he was my father."

"Don't hide from the truth! Just because dear ol' daddy went whackers and slit his co-workers throats because he thought they were, what was it again? Oh yes! 'Revolting against his methods and trying to brainwash him into revealing the location of his secret military base'."

"Was that really your dad? Don't be ashamed Manny, you couldn't do anything about what he did."

Officer Strider, unlike his fellow officer, stayed away from the topic of discussion and let his hand relax on his gun.

"Poor little Manny," Joker edged on, "why with daddy and mommy both gone now, who will ever see your brilliant dream of becoming a detective on the force come true?!"

"How the hell did you know my mom was gone?!"

Joker raised his brow and smiled a chilling grin, "Intuition?"

"How did you know my name? How did you know I wanted to become a detective?!" He flew off the bench and dropped his gun, wringing his hands around Joker's throat before throwing off his helmet.

"Dannie come here!" Harley called out and grabbed her daughter's arm, pulling her towards her side.

"Woo! When the Arkham…docs get…a load of the rings around my throat…they'll know you abused your position! And you'll never become a detective…oh yes! I can see it now! Arkham Asylum escapee's son follows suit of father's suicide! Irony! Twisted, beautiful, irony! Oh, I've got a hunch you'll be jumping _sooner than you think…"_

The other officer grabbed onto Cortez's shoulders, "Joker's right! The doctors see those marks and you won't get that title! Let go of him! Strider! Give me a hand, don't just sit there!"

"Of course," he stood up and withdrew his gun, then swiftly and effortless he pressed it against the back of the officer's neck and pulled the trigger. "Let go of him Cortez."

Shock overtook Cortez and he was stationary with his hands around Joker's throat, not able to believe what actually just happened.

Strider sighed and pressed the gun now to the frightened officer's head, "I said let him go."

"Okay…" he lifted his hands, "okay there. Don't shoot."

"Undo The Joker's and Harley Quinn's restraints."

"Sure," he pulled out the ring of keys in his pocket, "just give me a sec."

"Hurry up."

He first undid Joker's restraints, and Joker smiled at Danielle, "Come here sweetheart. Don't look so panicked."

"What the heck is going on?" she mumbled to herself, slipping past officer Strider with hesitation.

"What's the matter princess?" Joker asked lovingly and swept his hand over her hair.

"Well, I'm thoroughly confused. I think that should answer your question."

As soon as Harley was let loose, she instantly picked up the backpack from the floor holding her babies and hitched it over her shoulder, "Geesh Dannie, don't you know your own boyfriend?"

"…What?"

Harley cuffed Cortez to the wall and gave her daughter a playful grin, "What do ya think I mean baby girl?"

"Really Dannie," Joker added, "I figured out Strider was Jasper the second he looked at you like a sad puppy in here! He saw you were sad, and his shoulders slumped…it was a dead give away. No one likes anyone related to me in Gotham!"

"Why didn't you tell me?!" she yelled as soon she realized what was actually going on.

"Because it was funny! I could tell you had no clue that he was Jasper! We need to work on your concentration of things Dannie…but don't you worry!"

Danielle turned to Harley, "You saw how distressed I was! Why didn't you let me know everything was going to be okay?!"

"I played my part sweetie girl. If I thought you were gonna get hurt, I would'a told ya."

She scrunched her nose and stared at Jasper as he pulled off his helmet and dropped it to the floor, "I could have sworn I made it pretty obvious for you with that whole boyfriend bit."

"I hate all three of you…" and she sat down and crossed her arms in a deliberate pout.

Jasper sighed and handed Cortez a radio, "Get this truck to stop, I don't care how you do it, but if you say you're a hostage I'll shoot you point blank got it?" He received a nod and then turned back to Danielle, "Don't worry baby love," he kneeled down to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, coming face to face with her.

"Don't touch me."

"Oh come on, don't be sore with me. You just aren't used to this kind of thing, you'll get better at it. It was better that you didn't know it was me anyways."

"I said…don't touch me."

"Okay," he let go of her but kept his spot, "you aren't happy?"

"No."

"Not even to know that I'm okay?"

She looked away, "No."

"Look at me?"

"Why would I want to look at you?"

"Because I'm good looking, as you say."

Danielle held back a grin, "I would never say that." Then heatedly slid away from him.

"Dannie," he slid with her and touched his hand to her chin, but she jerked her head away and he let his hand fall. "Fine," he stood, "if you're going to act like that."

"I'll act anyway I want to act!" she protested and stared deathly at him.

"Good! I wanted you to act like a brat! You're so good at it!" Jasper turned away from her and put his attention on Cortez.

But Danielle quickly stuck her tongue out at his back before he could notice.

"Did you stick your tongue out at me?"

"No…"

Joker and Harley sat in the corner of the truck, quietly observing the, rather entertaining, argument. "Should we do something?" Harley asked.

"What? No! It's just getting good Harl!"

"I told you to quit sticking your tongue out at me." Jasper said calmly as he undid the restraints on Cortez.

The truck came to a slow stop, and Danielle quietly watched her twiddling thumbs, "I told you I didn't."

"You're lying."

"No I'm not! I didn't stick my tongue out at you!"

Jasper lifted the officer off the bench and stormed back to Danielle's spot, "You're the most unappreciative thing I've ever met in my damned life! Do you know what I had to do just to get out of that apartment?!"

"What'd ya do? Use the elevator?!"

"No!" he pushed his face to hers and yelled louder, "I had to jump over that fucking hole your father blew in the ground! I had to fight off a group of six armed officers! Then I had to go down the elevator shaft, not using the elevator but the God damn cable wires because they turned off the power to the building and the stair ways were all locked! Now that may sound like nothing, but when I reached the ground level, I was introduced to a blocked off exit! So, I had to go all the way back up the elevator shaft and use the roof as an exit! Joyous me as another officer saw me and placed the tip of his automatic rifle right between my eyes! What did I do? I had to knee him in the groin and pray that he didn't shoot his gun before I could knock it the hell away! Then I had to undress him and steal his uniform! Thank the heavens there was a damn helicopter crew there! But it doesn't end there…oh no you precious girl…I had to somehow persuade those fools to go against Gordon's orders and land right in the fucking street amidst a hundred armed weapons! All because I wanted to make sure you were safe! I wanted to make sure that the girl I love more than anything in the entire world was safe! And what do I get?! …What the hell do I get?!"

Just then the back door opened to the truck and Henderson gasped just as a bullet from Jasper's gun broke into his skull. He popped his neck and kicked Cortez out the door and onto his knees, then turned his head back to Danielle who sat wide eyed. "I get denied…because I only wanted to make you happy."

* * *

**Please leave a review! Sorry for the long update wait, busy busy as always! Hope you enjoyed!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Danielle watched Jasper walk to the railing of the old Arkham Bridge from her spot inside the truck. She watched his mannerisms, an ashamed stooping figure, shuffling angered steps, and stern raging fists balled at his sides in unforgiving hatred. He had done all of this for her and she hadn't thanked or shown the smallest amount of gratitude towards him. In fact she growled in frustration at him for loving her.

Without a mere glance toward her parents, Danielle jumped out of the truck and walked cautiously to Jasper. Tiny reluctant steps forced her to slow in fear of being yelled at again, but she pushed on and finally stopped by Jasper's side.

"You think we should do something now?" Harley asked being motherly.

"Nah," Joker stood up, "she's a smart girl, she'll take care of it. You'll see, Jasper will be right in her palms again!"

"In her palms?"

"Come on Harl, Dannie got more than my brilliant smile, blazing eyes, and mind from me…she got my charm too."

Harley giggled as Joker stepped out of the truck, "I've noticed more and more of you in her since you've been back. She hasn't been this way in a long time."

"No?"

"No, about a year after you left she got quiet, real refined and hidden."

He helped Harley out of the truck and then looked down to Cortez who was lying in pain. With a pout he turned back to Harley and wishfully grinned, "Which way do you like her best?"

"Her quiet features," she looked out at Danielle and Jasper, "have pretty much grown on me. So it's what I'm used to with her. But, ya know, she's not that brilliant little five year old genius you and I loved."

"The one that could make you laugh at even the simplest of words and gestures?"

"That's the one." Harley bit her bottom lip as her eyes marveled a wet shine, "She has her moments. Moments where she'll be really hyper and start raving about, chattering on and on about something that is 'inconceivably wrong'. Moments where she gets mischievous and plays tricks, moments where she has a darker mind set on reality, even moments where she's giggly and can just find a laugh in anything. It doesn't really matter what moment though, she could be silent on the couch just doing nothing, or working on homework without the slightest grin. In any moment she had, I could always see a little bit of you in her. No matter what moment she was living next. It just wasn't the amount she used to have when she was little. And now that I'm seeing her grow back into the daughter I used to have, I finally know just how great of a father you were and how much I really missed and needed you...how much we needed you."

Joker stared expressionlessly at Harley, not quite sure what to say or do. He let his eyes drop to the paved road, examining all the little cracks and holes and designs they made, meaningless and small tiny holes that made no difference in the world if they were there or not. Then gently he felt Harley hug him, her arms pushing into his coat and squeezing him comfortably in devotion.

"Puddin'?"

Her voice broke his trance and he blinked a few times until his eyes finally fell onto hers, "What?"

She withdrew her arms and pulled his hands out of his coat pockets, "Hold me too…"

"Oh…" and once she returned her arms around his waist, Joker wrapped his own around her and held her close. As he rested his chin on the top of her head, he looked out to Danielle and Jasper and watched them with narrowed eyes.

"Are you alright?"

He watched their every move, even though neither one was speaking or even looking at one another, but nonetheless he watched with ready eyes. He noticed Jasper's stiff posture, agitated and angered as he leaned forward against the bridge's railing, and Danielle's softened tilt, embarrassed by her actions…_embarrassed_.

"Puddin'?"

"What?"

Harley reached out to his chin and grabbed it, smiling as she turned his view back to her, "Are you alright?"

He jumped his watchful glare into happy curiosity, giving Harley a questioned but giggly look, "Well of course I'm alright! I've got my favorite gal right here…and my favorite daughter right there! I've finally got my two girls back and I'm happier than a high hyena!"

Harley laughed and took hold of his hands. She watched his eyes carefully and noticed how they lingered very nonchalantly towards where Danielle and Jasper stood. "You sure? You sure everything's okay?"

"I said…everything is fine Harley."

"Okay," she said shakily at the drop of his tone, "it's just, well, I feel like you might be-"

"Might be _what_?"

"Might be, holding something back."

Joker narrowed his eyes again but this time onto Harley. With a stern head tilt, slow and exact, he moved closer to her and spat in clarification, "You think I'm keeping something from you…"

"Well, you just sorta, ya know, seem different since you've come back and-"

"How am I supposed to be acting? I've been in Arkham for a long time…being in there can change one's self Harley. You of all people should know."

"Right, but-"

"And I even told you I changed back, I'm not…that fool _Jack_…I told you a long time ago that I wasn't going to be him anymore. You've forgotten who I really am and how I really act and how I really function and how I really think…you've forgotten The Joker. I know, you weren't with my true self for a very long time…" his voice calmed and he charmingly smiled as he sidled his cheek against hers, "but isn't that who you fell in love with? And you've always swooned on getting your prince back…well I'm back, even if it doesn't seem like it right now Harley, I'm back. And you're going to have to get used to the change, because I finally feel like me again. And I'm _so_ in love with it Harley, I love it. I've finally got that, tingle" he giggled, "back. I'm not letting go of it."

Harley grinned, "I never forgot you Mistah J! Oh I could never forget you!"

"Okay!" he heaved as Harley squeezed him in a burst of happiness, "Not so tight pumpkin pie!"

Danielle folded her arms and turned toward Jasper. Keeping her head low and aimed at the water below, she opened her mouth to speak and found herself only sputtering short bursts of air.

"What Danielle?"

He seemed so fed up but she finally managed to spit out some words, "Jasp, I…I don't know why I act like that."

"I don't want to talk about this right now Danielle."

"Well when do you? You know you should at least try to talk about it since I'm willing…"

"Now is not the time for you to be getting short with me! When I'm ready to talk about it, I'm ready to talk about it! Alright?!"

"Don't yell at me Jasper, I'm just trying to talk to you."

Jasper sighed as he pushed his head back and stared at the silent sky slowly beginning to grow dark, "I need a line, I need my shot."

"Is your adrenaline that bad right now?"

"I feel like I can't control anything," he slid his hands across his temples and gasped for a breath, "I know you don't like it when I take it."

"Let me feel your pulse." He nodded and Danielle pressed her index and middle finger against the artery in his neck. "It's running full speed Jasper. Every time I feel your pulse when you get adrenaline rushes it gets faster. What happens if it gets to be too much to handle?"

"I don't know!" He turned away and tore off the top of the police uniform he was wearing, "You keep asking me that! I keep telling you I don't know! I don't know!"

"Jasper _calm_ down…"

"I am trying to calm down! I can't control it!" Jasper flung the top and bullet-proof vest over the railing and into the water. "No matter what I do, I get frustrated or angry and I just get this rush…"

"I know Jasper, I know just breathe okay? Where's your shot at?"

He patted at his chest and felt only his undershirt. Instantly he growled and moaned in howling sorrow, "I left it in my clothes! At the apartment when I changed into that damn cop uniform!"

"Okay, just, sit down."

Danielle helped him to the floor and he batted her hand away, "I can do it myself!"

"Jasper I'm trying to help you!"

"I don't need it! Just leave me alone!"

Her eyes watered and in fear of not knowing what to do she suggested someone who might, "I'm getting my dad."

"What?!" he screamed and looked at Joker and Harley who had both been watching with very curious intentions. "Do not get your father Danielle, don't even think about trying to get your _father_ to help me!"

"Well I don't know what else to do! You're scaring me Jasper, you're making me worry!" Danielle turned around quickly, "Dad! Jasper needs help!"

"God damn you Danielle!" he shot up and grabbed her wrists harshly, "I told you not to get him!"

"Jasper, I know you can't control what you're really doing, but you have to let me go okay?"

"And what if I don't want to?"

Her eyes burned and grew wider, "What?"

He overpowered her and pushed her backwards toward the railing, "I told you not to call your damn father! It's always daddy! Always The Joker with you!"

"Dad! Mom! Jasper please!"

"There you go again, calling out for daddy! Why are you so set on him…he's done nothing and I've done everything!"

Joker clenched his hand onto Jasper's neck and yanked him backwards. As they stumbled, Joker grabbed onto Jasper's left arm and forced it behind Jasper's head.

"Let go of me you son of a bitch!" Jasper struggled and yelled, kicking his legs in the air dangerously.

"Are you okay baby girl? What happened?"

Danielle was held and comforted by her mother as she explained, "It's his adrenaline rushes again, they're getting worse and I don't know what to do to help him. He's starting to lose control of himself now."

"Let go! Let go! You fucking bastard!"

"Harsh words Gumball, you really should mellow out, don't you think?"

Jasper thrashed around trying desperately to get away from Joker's grasp, "I hate you! You and all your fucking meaningless jokes! You're…nothing! You're just...always getting in the way between me and…heh Danielle and…_woo_, I'm _tired_."

"Oh that's so much better!" Joker laughed.

"Did you give him Smilex!?" Danielle jumped out of Harley's arms and toward her boyfriend.

"Not to worry Dannie, it's a non-lethal formula," he tossed the syringe he used in Jasper's neck to the side and kept one hand glued to Jasper's wrist. "Should ware off in a few hours."

Jasper looked around in amazement at all the different things surrounding him. Splendid colors and goofy sounds made him smile in pure joy, "Woo!"

"You're boyfriend already seems more pleasant Dannie girl, even has a nice smile now that I've actually seen it."

"Yea, it's seldom when he does, but it's one of the best."

Jasper tried to take a step forward but found himself to be held by Joker. He slowly looked at Joker's hand on his wrist, and then trailed his eyes up the length of Joker's arm until he fell onto his white face. "Hey!" he leaned back in excitement, "I know you!"

"Jasper? You okay?" Danielle asked still worried about him.

His eyes flittered around trying to find the voice, "Ha, that sounds like…like mah girl!" Finally he found her and he shook his head in shock, "Baby Love! When did you get here?!"

Joker let go of Jasper's wrist and all of them watched him stumble and take a few steps forward, "So, Gumball gets adrenaline rushes does he?"

"Yea," Danielle said and watched Jasper edgily, "and they're getting worse."

"Well, this form of Smilex is more of a tranquilizer, not so much with the laughy laughy bit, but it'll relax him as you can see."

"Dannie," Jasper gained his footing and proudly took a few steps forward, "where ya been sweetie?"

"I've been right here," she laughed.

"No you haven't, I haven't seen you in forever!"

Joker chuckled in his throat and saw a car starting to drive to where they were, "Just roll with it Dannie, don't upset him or his adrenaline may over power the drug."

"Oh, well I mean I've been at home, with my mom, ya know being a good daughter and all."

Jasper managed to grab hold of her hand, "You look so pretty today Dannie, _so pretty_…"

"Harley? Can you act distressed to get this car to stop so we can get home? I'd say just take the truck but as you know Gordo likes to keep track of things with his petty little tracking devices."

"Sure thing Pud'!"

"I have a tracking device in me too!"

Joker turned around in an instant, mortified at what Jasper had revealed, but found Danielle only laughing at his antics, "Oh do you Jasper? How'd it get in there?"

"A clown…put it in me."

"Oh really?"

"Yes! You know how pretty you look?"

Joker sighed, "Alright Baby Princess, we'll hide behind the truck while Harley stops this car. We'd look suspicious if we were just standing around out there."

"You mean you'd look suspicious." Danielle giggled.

"Only because I look so _handsome_. Okay Harley, do your thing!"

"Okie dokie Mistah J!" Harley ran out into the middle of the road as soon as the others were hidden. With the pups still on her back, she bounced and yelled in fake pleading, "Please! Please help!"

The car came to a screeching halt and a middle aged man rolled down his window, "What the hell lady?! You know you could'a been run over by- oh my God, what happened to all those guards?"

"A uh…uh a maniac! He escaped from the truck right there and just went all loony on those guards! He could be anywhere!"

"Well where did you come from then?"

"Don't ask questions!" Harley pulled out a gun from behind her back and aimed it at the man, "Get outta the car baldy! I'd just shoot ya while you're in there, but then you'd get everything all icky, so out!"

"Whoa! Take it easy!"

"I said out!"

"Okay!" he stepped out of the car with his hands raised.

Joker strolled out from behind the truck with Danielle and Jasper following close behind, "Good work Harley! _Now get rid of him_."

Without much thought she steadied her gun onto the man's face. Concentration took over and she sneakily stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth, furthering her steadiness and awareness.

The man looked away from the gun that taunted and pointed at him, "Please, I have a kid that needs my care, just let me go you can have the car. I promise I won't let anyone know that you're here, I won't go to the cops." Yielding tears escaped him as he turned back to the gun, back to Harley, "Please…"

"What are you doing Harley!? Shoot him! Get rid of him!"

"But Pud'," Harley lowered her weapon, "he didn't do anything and he's willing to give us the car. Can't we just let him go?"

"What!?"

"He's got a kid and-"

Joker stormed over to her side and clenched his hand around her wrist as tight as he could, aiming the gun back onto the beseeching man. "You shoot him now!"

Once more she stared at the kneeling man. He had a child, someone he needed to protect, someone that required his presence. Harley swallowed and looked to Danielle who was equally concentrated on the scene. Her daughter, someone who needed to be protected, someone that required a parental presence, how could she kill someone with a kid?

"Harley!"

"I can't," she let her hand go limp as she removed her trigger finger from the gun, "he's innocent."

"You desolate degrading fool!"

Joker whipped the gun away from her hand and arched it back behind him in raging power and annoyance. Harley only had a second to react as she tried her best to cover her face, but her reflexes weren't enough as the cold sting and bite of the gun socked against her face in pure strength.

She fell to her knees in shame, not because of Joker, but because of her beautiful daughter. As her blurry vision came to rest on Danielle, all she could do was curse herself for not shooting that man and for allowing Joker to hit her. The look on that gorgeous girl's face was nothing but pain and astonishment.

She could feel the warmness of blood drip from her nose and cheek and she marveled in the memories she had shared with Joker. The abuse was only really given to her in the beginning of their relationship, the time he was truly The Joker. And now above all, as she let a small drizzle of spit and blood seep out the corner of her mouth, she knew he really was back to that sadistic and selfish clown she fell in love with. He had never hit her in front of Danielle before, never.

"No one is innocent!" he shot off the gun at the kneeling man and then threw the gun harshly at Harley causing her to flinch and cry out a whimpering sob. "Have you forgotten everything I've taught you!?"

"Not in front of Dannie!"

"How dare you!" he knelt down by Harley's side and roughly grabbed the collar of her shirt, "Don't you ever use our daughter as protection…"

"I'm not using her as protection for me! I'm using it as protection for her! Look at Danielle Joker, look at her!"

His strict eyes softened in the smallest way as he looked over his shoulder and back at his daughter. There she was very enclosed by Jasper's arms, a look of pain and suffering glued to her being.

He didn't look long and soon he let go of Harley's collar. "Get up."

"What?"

"Get. Up."

Feeling his words chill through her skin, she stood and dusted off her knees, never looking away from Joker's eyes.

"Get in the car Harley."

With a quick hasty nod she walked past Joker with prompt steps and got in without a further word. She didn't want to do something to upset Joker and have Danielle see, that was the biggest worry on her mind.

Joker stood up as well and walked to the car. He opened the back door and kept his eyes on the gravely ground, "Get in."

Danielle went up to her father and allowed Jasper to get in first. Once he was in comfortably, she looked to Joker, "Dad?"

"Just get in."

"Okay," she sat feeling the cold rush of air gust across her from the closing door. Carefully she found her mother's eyes in the rearview mirror, seeing only discomfort in her blue hues.

She watched her father circle around the vehicle, haste in his steps but reluctance in his smile, and that hurt her just as much as seeing her mother in fear.

"Where do you want me to go?"

"I want you to drive home."

She knew she would get yelled at, but Harley let her question slip out with quietness and unwillingness, "Which home?"

"The only home the three of us shared!"

"Kay."

Sitting behind her mother, Danielle placed a hand onto her shoulder, trying to add some amount of comfort to her. She'd heard the stories of her father's actions and wild sprees, the murders, the explosions, the never ending toil of merry abandonment across Gotham's dark corners and streets thousands of times. But she could never have been prepared to see The Joker, her father, strike her mother down.

The tales she had heard of how her father truly was, not the protective and loving man she had grown fond of looking up to, were remorsefully true in one aspect. But she was smart, she was clever, and she knew that his actions were only for the best. She knew exactly why he had done what he did.

Despite the gruesome stories, she knew her father better than anyone, and through his many adventures he had aimed at one thing and one thing only: showing the world for what it truly was and still is. When her mother said the man was innocent, it was only right of him to get angry, wasn't it? By her saying he was innocent, it recoiled against the many years The Joker had selflessly indulged himself into the heart of Gotham, for no one was innocent, everyone was and is at fault. How could she, even after the eleven years he had been gone, how could she go against the very thing he had taught her, the very thing she learned to embrace as true?

But then again, there he was, sitting in the passenger seat with the look of 'how could I?' stuck to his face, the saddened look of a father being disappointed in himself. He was remorseful, he was tired, and he was _not_ The Joker. But he was trying to be, his mind was working so hard to be the fiendish clown she knew he was.

Then there was Harley, shooting him down again for something she undeniably encouraged! She wanted him to be The Joker, she wanted him to be The Clown Prince of Crime! But she kept punishing him for his actions, the very actions she wanted him to provide. How could he become his true self if the girl he loves won't make up her mind?

And that's when it hit her, Harley wasn't Harley Quinn, she was still Harleen Quinzel. Her mother was questioning wrong vs. right, questioning her father and was still, after all these years, exploding with confusion in the choice of if she should love Joker or not.

Danielle squeezed her hand into a fury induced fist. They were lying to themselves. They were completely lying, saying they were who they rightfully were. They weren't her parents, they weren't The Joker and Harley Quinn, Gotham's greatest villains ever seen, not yet. They just need a little help. And she'd give it to them…

Because she was sick and tired of having Harleen Quinzel and Jack Napier as parents.

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**Hope you all noticed something in this chapter :)**

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	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The car pulled up onto the long gravel filled driveway and Harley smiled in the faintest way. The house was clean on the outside, white and clutter free with groomed floral arrangements living in merriment where they were rooted. Soft window panels gave the home an earnest heart in their dark black tones, and the large porch she had spent many nights gazing at the stars on was spick and span with the same little bench glued to the floorboards.

She stopped the car and softly turned it off, still marveling in the aura of the house before her. It was bigger than she remembered, more real in fact. "We're here," she started to Joker but found him to be pleasantly asleep. Tenderly she placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a placid little shake.

He must have been so tired with such an inconsiderable amount of sleep, she thought. Getting out of Arkham wasn't a very hard thing for him to do, but it had to be stressful for him, coming back to his family and learning new things and new people, it wasn't the typical welcome home party he probably had dreamed about in those cavernous cells at night. So she was sweet in her tone.

"Joker, wake up, we're home."

He stirred for another moment but opened his eyes indolently, gazing around and searching his surroundings until he saw his home out the front window. His smile grew and he turned to Harley, "Home."

Her hands resided back onto the steering wheel as she examined her lap, her voice dropping but still lingering with the lovable tone he cherished, "Yea, home."

Something in her worried and taunted him. She wasn't in the least that beautiful Harley Quinn he had shared his life with, and created life with. She was gone and she didn't even know it.

"How long have they been asleep?"

"About an hour, I'm not sure."

He rubbed the back of his neck and contemplated as he glanced at his daughter, "I'll put her to bed. No use in waking her up, she's probably more tired than any of us."

"What about Jasper?"

"Once I get Dannie situated, I'll come back out and get him. The Smilex will still be in his system for a few more hours, it'd be best to have him stay here and let him sleep it out."

"Where is he gonna sleep?"

"I'll put him in the room next to Danielle's." Very discreetly he stepped out of the car and went to Danielle's door, where upon he opened it softly in order not to wake her. He unsnapped her seatbelt and then slipped one arm behind her back and one under knees, letting him lift her with the greatest of ease.

"I'll get the door." Harley called out as she walked to the house's front. She noticed how cold it was and hugged her body to provide some warmth. Granted it got pretty cold in Gotham during the end of August, but never had she felt the chill so intense. Once she was near the entrance, Harley reached up to the top of the door frame and tapped her fingers to the left and right until she felt a small piece of cold metal.

"Did you find the key?"

"Yea." She smoothly unlocked the door and felt the hyenas in her backpack start to squirm against her. "I'm gonna put the babies in the downstairs bathroom for tonight okay?"

"That's fine."

"We'll have to go shopping tomorrow, the food here is probably rotten or no good anymore. Hopefully the babies will be okay through the night."

"They'll be fine, give them some water." He walked into the house and stopped next to Harley who had stood marveling again at the inside of the house, like she was reliving her first introduction here again. "Say goodnight to Dannie."

"Night baby girl," she kissed her forehead as Joker lowered her down, "momma loves you." Joker straightened back up and adoringly looked at his daughter as he started walking to the stares, but Harley clamored suddenly in a very calm voice. "Oh, turn on some music for her? If she wakes up in the middle of the night she can't fall back to sleep without it."

He nodded, "Okay."

"And this," she walked to Joker and slipped a slick piece of fabric into his hand.

"Isn't this one of my old bowties?"

"We all had our favorite toy to lay with when we go to sleep. This is Dannie's. Put it under her pillow, that's where she keeps it."

Joker stared at his sleeping daughter, "Sure."

With that he humbly turned and journeyed up the stairway, and then down the hall, and then into her room. He laid her down onto her bed and he chuckled warmly, she was going to need a bigger bed for she barely fit onto her old mattress. He bent down and pulled the covers over her and in his doing Danielle tucked herself into a tight ball. "We'll get you a bigger bed tomorrow, but for now this should do." He slid the bowtie under her pillow and sighed, "Life will get better…you'll be happy soon. Goodnight baby princess."

He stood and went to the small boom box she had when she was little. It was never moved, still planted on the top of her dresser and practically begging to be played again. Joker pressed the power button and soon a rumoring tune began to filter through the air, a tune so memorable and vivid he wanted to stay and listen and enjoy the positive memories he had had with his sweet little girl.

"That's the Sugar Plum Fairy, from The Nutcracker."

He turned around in a flash and smiled at her weary and sleepy eyes, "I didn't mean to wake you up. Your mother said you like to have music on at night."

"Yea, I like this song, it makes me feel mischievous."

Again he chuckled, "Why can't you fall asleep without the music on?"

"Oh," she looked around her old room and cleared her throat, "drowns out the thoughts in my head."

Joker sat on the ground near her bed and folded his arms on the corner of her mattress, "What type of thoughts?"

"Anything really. Kittens frolicking along the high grassy meadows, bloody trails that lead to more bloody trails, you and mom, Jasper, random images that are so vivid I feel like I'm supposed to know what they are…but I don't. You know I think my bed shrunk."

"We'll get you a bigger one tomorrow, maybe change your room too, this one's a bit small."

"But it's the closest room to your room."

Joker smiled and agreed, "True, but the one right next door is only five feet further. You won't be too far from my mine. What type of images do you see that are vivid?"

"I'm not sure, they look like murders. I don't like them much. Sometimes the scenes get so heavy and graphic and I just start to laugh but not because I think they're funny, I just can't stop laughing."

"When was the last time you had one of these fits?"

"The night before you came back."

His aura shifted, controlled into a different sense of audacity and fatherly protection as he stroked his hand against her forehead, "You know you're safe?"

"Yes." She said after a long moment of careful thought.

"Do you _feel_ safe?"

"I feel tired," she grinned, "where's Jasper?"

"He's still in the car, after I make sure you're comfy I'm going back out to get him. He's asleep and I'd rather keep it that way until the Smilex is completely out of his system."

"And what about mom?"

"Downstairs putting the hyenas in the bathroom for the night."

Danielle looked up at her ceiling. A strange wrath of emotions unexpectedly overwhelmed her, emotions she had never felt, never practiced. "Are you, ya know, guys okay?"

"I didn't mean to hit her Dannie, but we're okay.

"Of course you meant to hit her," She said flatly as she sat up to some extent in her spot.

"No, sweetheart, I just got frustrated."

"Dad, you don't need to hide behind an excuse. You see the world so differently from others," she exclaimed, laying back down and orchestrating her thought with passionate and expressive eyes. "When they see grey, you see green. When they see squares, you see triangles and when they see despair…you see an ostentatious opportunity. When mom said that man was innocent, she was so wrong and she rightfully deserved what was given to her. After all," she shrugged, "no one is innocent, and you taught her that, you showed her so many things and now she's pressed them all back into the niche of her mind. She's not my mom, she's not Harley Quinn and she hasn't been for years. The only way to get her back is by being who _you_ are, and not shadowing your potential behind this remorseful feeling person. You're The Joker, and you're letting Harleen Quinzel slap your wrist when you act like him. You should do something about that, and I believe you know exactly what to do."

Joker stared for the longest time after her short and straight forward speech, but after a moment he snapped back to and rubbed her shoulder, "You know a lot about your parents."

"I do."

"More than anyone else in the entire world."

"Most likely."

He took a deep breath and stood up, "You know, I'd never hurt you. Even if I was myself, I wouldn't."

"I know, you told me at the wedding you'd never strike me and that you'd stop fighting." She rested her cheek against the blanket and gave an intrepid grin, "So far you've kept to half of your word. Stop fighting dad, I want to feel safe."

"I'm working on it. First thing in the morning I'm going to do a little bit of detective snooping to find out who hurt you.

"Cuz ya love me?"

"Because I love you," he agreed.

"Do me a favor though," she closed her eyes, "make sure you get my parents back first. I miss them an awful lot. That shouldn't be too hard right? Now that you know you aren't acting like yourself?"

"I think I've known for a long time that I haven't been. But being away from your mother made me remember who I was and how I ended up losing myself."

"It's…sort of funny if you think about it. I've never really known my father."

"Dannie…"

"Well, think about it! My dad is The Joker, that's you, but I've never really met him before. You've never been The Joker, around me."

"Does that scare you?"

"No, God no. I can't be afraid of someone that's like me, then I'd just be frightened of myself and that's silly," she chuckled. "Though, the thought of finally getting to see my real dad, is something that's hard to explain."

"I'm not that much different."

"Maybe not. However I've seen tapes and videos and heard recordings of you before you even met mom." A sensational smile and traveling mind brightened her features, "The Clown Prince of Crime takes on the entire Gotham Police Department, fighting on the roof top with the moon behind him, fist to fist with Batman…and just as it looks like ol' Batsy is getting the upper hand, The Joker jumps off the roof top! Plummeting from hundreds of feet in the air! But out of nowhere a helicopter zooms in and he latches onto its loosely hanging ladder, the easiest of chances that he may have missed one of the steps on it, but he still jumped, he still dared. And you know what? He got away…he escaped, and he laughed so hard and so loud at the police, Gotham City, and Batman. He laughed, because he wasn't afraid of anything in spite of what everyone else thought. Nothing could stop him, nothing could deter him, and nothing made him question his intelligence. That's my father."

"You want a father that would die in the name of his beliefs? That would risk anything, his own life or others, just to prove a point that in the end wouldn't matter to anyone because they still wouldn't have the feeble minds to understand? A father that could, in the cleanest sense possible, die a super villain with the highest of notorious rankings, known throughout the entire world as a homicidal, narcissistic, psychopathic, bat-minded clown? Who frankly couldn't give a ridiculous care in the world to the one girl who actually fought with her own emotions and mind to give him a chance? Who blows up at even the slightest remark that goes against his very genius? A father who could end up showing you no respect, no care, no affection, because he's too busy rummaging about with endless and meticulous plans and jobs? A father who could end up getting you killed out of his foolish doings?!"

Danielle sat up, very sternly, and placed her hands on Joker's cheeks. "Yes. I do."

"Why on Earth would you want a father like that?"

"Because I love him." She laughed, changing her serious tone to flittering merry abandonment. "He won't…get me killed, or show no care to mom. He'll love us both, but he won't be afraid anymore. I think that'll be the only difference."

Joker leaned forward and whispered, "I want you to have a father like that too. Because I know, deep down, he'd protect you."

"I know he would."

He choked and tried to look down but Danielle kept him up, "I just don't want you to get hurt again."

"Then give me my dad."

He tiredly nodded, not sure about her repeated request, "Okay."

"Do you know I love you and mom more than anyone else in the entire world?"

"I love you too sweetie, and by God I didn't." Joker stood up with a grin and helped her back under the covers. "Tell you what, you rest that fantastic little brain of yours well enough, and we'll go do something tomorrow. Just the two of us. How does that sound?"

"Yea!" she smiled, "what would we do?"

He tapped her nose and watched a smile unfold up her cheeks, "Can't tell you, it's a surprise, now get some sleep. You had a busy day after all."

"I hope I get more days like that."

"If you follow your dream, you will."

Danielle yawned and cuddled cutely into her blanket, "Night daddy."

"Night sugar," he closed the door behind him and walked back down the hall and down the stairs, thinking about what his daughter had told him. She was right. He couldn't be himself if Harley wasn't Harley, and she certainly wasn't after tonight's display. Going back out into the cold night air he felt a twinge of goose bumps prickle on his skin.

"Is Dannie tucked in and alright?" Harley asked.

For some reason he felt unsure and awkward towards her, "Yes, all tucked in. It's cold tonight and you don't have a coat, why don't you go inside."

"I'm okay," she curled her feet up onto the bench and hugged them to her body, "I just want to look at the stars, ya know how we used to do?"

"Well here," he took off his jacket and tossed it next to where she sat, "put it on…I don't want you to catch cold and end up getting _me_ sick."

"Sure thing Pud'."

Joker trotted down the steps and kicked around the tiny pebbles of gravel along his route to the car. Once there he opened the door and watched Jasper fall right out of the vehicle and land on his back.

He moaned and then giggled as he rubbed his head sleepily. He saw Joker standing over him and pointed up at the tall clown figure, "You."

"Hello Gumball."

"Hi," he sniveled and stretched both arms up toward Joker, "my nose is runny. Can you help it?"

"Oh of course! Which side is running?"

Jasper closed his drugged eyes and thought hard about the difficult question presented to him, "The left one."

"The left one you say?"

"Yes," he confirmed.

"Then I can certainly help you." Joker reared back his leg and kicked Jasper right in the nose. "That's for almost pushing my daughter of the bridge!"

Covering his face he screamed, "I couldn't help it!"

"You're lucky I kicked you when you were drugged! Now get up!"

"Okay!"

Joker hooked his hand under Jasper's shoulder and yanked him up, dragging him across the ground. He came to the porch stairs and let go of him clumsily with a sense of 'on purpose' poise, "Oops…"

His head slammed against the corner of the step but surprisingly Jasper just held the sides of his face sighing, "Ow…" His eyes flittered and he let his head fall to the side where he saw a bundled Harley smiling at him. "You, you're Dannie's mom?"

"Yes Jasper."

"Hi."

"Hello," she waved laughing.

Joker grabbed Jasper's shoulder again and pulled him up, "Time for bed Gumball."

"Okay, goodnight Danielle's mom."

"Goodnight Danielle's boyfriend."

Jasper grinned at her as he was dragged into the house and Harley giggled. She looked at the stars and how they shimmered and gleamed, all sparkling and shining in such outstanding grandeur…things were going to get better, now that he was back, things were going to get better. It was just going to take a little time.

About five minutes later, Joker strolled back out of the house and took a heavy seat next to Harley. Resting his head against her shoulder, he closed his eyes, "I'm tired."

"Rough couple of days?"

"Not too bad. We've had worse days right?"

Harley took in a gulp of air, "I don't think I've experienced a day that was worse than the day Dannie got kidnapped."

"I would do anything to go back in time and be there with you when it happened Harley."

"If you _were_ there, it wouldn't have happened."

"Harley."

"She could have been killed, my sweet baby, and I didn't have a clue what to do."

Joker pressed his fingers between hers and squeezed her hand in the most loving way he could, "She's safe now, I'm home, I'm going to find who hurt her, now let it go."

"How can I let something like that go?" she stood up and stared at him in disbelief, "just let it go? Our daughter was kidnapped, our daughter was tortured, and our daughter was raped! And I'm supposed to just…let it go?"

"That's not what I meant Harley."

"You have no idea what she's really gone through. She had three broken ribs, a broken arm, _and_ a dislocated ankle. Not to mention the cuts that were littered on her back. For three and a half months she was in complete pain, she had to stay in bed and be constantly watched over. I can't even get into the injuries from the rape."

"Stop it Harley," he warned as he stood up as well.

"She has had so much stress and anxiety and all I could do was sit by her side and try to make her smile. You know what she said to me one night? 'I wish dad was here. I wish daddy was here so he could make us both smile'. Then you hit me right in front of her! You hit me in front of our daughter! What am I supposed to do to that? To everything? Let it go!? Just let it go!?"

"I said stop it!" he shoved her backwards down the stairs and she hit hard against the gravel in the driveway.

Her vision blurred but she could hear the crunching of rocks under his steps, "Please!"

"Listen to me!" he crouched over the top of her with his hands pinned against her shoulders. "I am tickled with delight that you presented me with a little chat on what happened to my daughter, and from the deepest crevice in my apparently shallow heart I wish I could have protected her. But I didn't, I wasn't there, and she was hurt. You want me to be The Joker, so let me take care of it, let _me_ worry about what happened to her now. You've had your share. Just let it go."

Her eyes were red and tear filled as she listened to him, "I want her to be happy."

"Then you need to listen to me, do what I say, and let me be me."

"Okay."

"No more making me feel bad for what I do."

"Kay."

"And don't question what I say."

"Alright."

He felt remorse start to bubble inside him but he didn't urge it on. It was going to take a bit of time to really become himself, it wasn't going to happen in five minutes. Seeing a well of tears run down Harley's cheeks, Joker stood tall and looked down at her. "I believe, that you owe me an apology since you rudely interrupted me."

"You, hit me. Don't you owe me an apology?" she asked very quietly.

"I would have never hit you if you hadn't interrupted me! You cut me off! I wasn't able to explain myself for wanting you to let it go! You should be at the very least thankful I'm not mad at you for getting my coat covered in gravel."

Harley held the cold air in her lungs as she wobbled to a standing and scared pose. Her cheek had been cut open even more due to her serious fall on the rocks, and wearily she wiped the debris out of the scratches, taking a frightened step toward Joker with what seemed like less and less dignity. "I'm sorry."

A deep sigh left his throat as he listened to her careful voice flutter, and he found himself with thoughts he hadn't had in such a long time. He knew she was scared and unsure of what he was going to do next. But all he could think to do was charmingly sweep her back to his loving side. Perhaps manipulate was a better choice of word for this desire, although, exploitation wasn't something he cherished to do at the moment. Despite the fiery push for and love of it, he'd rather just put this night past them and start a new. He could literally feel himself becoming The Joker, but going back to that person in just a few minutes was not a strong choice. He himself may well be perfectly fine with the change, but the ones he loved needed a slow transformation so they could once again become acquainted with his true personality. Too quick, and they wouldn't be prepared, they wouldn't know what to expect, and that would be catastrophic, leading to such things that his mind found horribly saddening. He didn't want to lose them again.

With his concluding thought, he wiped away the dirt on her neck. "You had a rough day, didn't you?"

"Uh-huh."

He thought for a moment, "Let's do this," and then cupped his long fingers under her shaking chin, "you take a shower, get all those flustering emotions washed away, and while you do that, I'll light some of those nice candles you always liked and put them in our room so you can fall asleep without too much fuss. Sound good?"

"Yea, it does."

"We'll both just relax, put our little argument behind us, and spend the rest of the night together in a warm bed, just you and I. Now give me a smile…" Yieldingly she grinned as he pulled his hand away from her face, and with a satisfied chuckle he leaned forward and rubbed his gloved thumb against her lip, "there we are. Not too mad at me are you?"

"No, I'm not mad at ya."

"Good," he gave her a small push towards the front door, "go on, I'll be right in."

Harley tugged his coat around her in an attempt to absorb its heat, but as she stepped onto the first stair, she turned back around to Joker and happily spoke. "Thank you."

"For?"

"For not getting completely mad at me for messing up and not listening to you."

He looked down to the ground, "Little steps. If we don't look where we go, and take too big of a step, we may end up in a hole."

"I appreciate your little steps."

With that, she turned around and entered the house, leaving Joker on the driveway kicking at the pebbles Harley had just landed on. He covered his mouth and bit the inside of his lip as soon as he heard the door close, this wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. "I hope this works princess, I really hope it does. You deserve a better father."

"No I don't," Danielle whispered after watching her parents from her window up above, "I've got the greatest father and you don't even realize. You'll be The Joker before you even know it. _You'll_ _finally be my dad._"

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**Thank you for reading. Please Review.**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Who would have thought that such a beautiful girl would have come from those two clowns, but here you are, right here. You know Danielle, I've watched you grow from when you were just a little thing. I believe I first met you when you were four. Now, we weren't formally introduced, we didn't shake hands or say 'hello' to one another, but I met you. And may I say I was…"

"That's right, now I'm going to ask you some questions. Hopefully you'll cooperate and we won't have to use inappropriate tools and measures. Comfortable? Good…"

"I know you're enjoying this, you just have to keep telling yourself you aren't, and I agree Danielle. Tell yourself you hate this. There, there…"

"What's The Joker's real name? What's your father's name Danielle? You know it, I know you do…"

"I hear yesterday you were putting up quite the fuss. I'm sure you understand that we couldn't have you putting up a temper, so the justification of the others roughing you up is logical hmm? For my own knowledge however, I'd like to examine the areas where you were harmed. Good, now don't give me a ruckus and this'll be done before you know it. Let's have a look at your ribs…"

"How old was your father when he became The Joker? Danielle? Are you listening?"

"I didn't want to have to do all that Danielle, but you have to see eye to eye, you're just so beautiful. No man could resist that temptation, excitement. For being good through it all, here's a kiss…now, now, don't pull away…"

"Tell me about your father when he was a child, tell me about what you know in that genius mind of yours…tell me what you've inherited…"

"I love you, I love you more than anything in the entire world."

She gasped as her eyes flew open in an unseating terror. Heaps of sweat and chills covered her body, counseling her feelings and movements, it was a miracle she managed to wipe away the panic filled tears from her eyes. After a moment of regaining her self-control, she stood and took a deep breath, straightened her clothing, and slowly left the room.

More than anything she wanted to get the memory drenched nightmare away from her thoughts, but the persistent nagging of the man's voice was so clear and summarily gripping. It was impossible to let go.

Harley yawned as she stretched her weary and drowsy body under the hefty comforter that encased her. With a tired turn she looked to Joker and found that, unfortunately, he still lay sound asleep. A tiny grin was located in the crook of his smile with relaxation fondly playing against his features, and she lovingly allowed herself to rest a small peck against his forehead before shifting through the sheets to get out of bed.

With her feet softly planted on the floor, Harley dug her toes into the carpet, folded her hands together and then let them gradually rest on her lap. Today she felt happy, today she felt like everything was okay and that everything had been exactly the way it was before he had left. In fact, it felt like he hadn't even left in the first place.

The faintest sound of birds chirping outside the room's window made her giggle in a comforting giddy compromise with her thoughts. She felt unusually strange yet the feeling was all too well known, and in turn unknown as well.

"_Harl_…"

She looked over her shoulder and indisputably smiled at the sight of Joker stretching his arm out toward her. "Hi Pud."

"It got cold."

"Ya want me to come back?"

After a sleepy confirming nod from Joker, Harley crawled back over to her prince and cuddled into his warm body. He was her protection.

"What time is it Harley girl?"

"Five in the mornin'."

"Oh," he snuggled back into his pillow, looking at Harley's wet blue eyes. There was a certain shimmer in those dazzling depths, staring and asking a hidden question, a very secretive matter she wanted to ask with unbinding pleasure. But alas her cute little self just couldn't find the courage within herself to ask. So he'd make it easy for her, "No Harley."

"No what?"

He laughed deeply in his throat and closed his eyes, "No."

"I didn't even ask ya anything Mistah J."

"But you want to ask me something, don't you?"

Nervously she played with her bottom lip until the tiniest grin made an appearance. "How'd you know?"

"I know everything about my Harley Quinn."

"Then why 'no' Mistah J? Please? It's been eleven whole long gruesome years! I could barely last two days when you _were_ around!"

"Because I promised Danielle that she and I would go out and do something together today. Just the two of us."

Harley rubbed his bare chest, looking at him with longing puppy eyes, "Can't we just do it real quick?"

"I'm getting up in just a minute to go get my Dannie up Pooh…maybe tonight if I'm in the mood."

"Fine," she whined, "but can ya make it _romantic_ Puddin'?"

The elemental batter of her eyelashes made him chuckle as he growled a kiss into her neck. "_If I make it anything I'll make it sex._"

She squealed in delight at the feel of his teeth digging into her skin but the sound of a knock at the door caused them to leisurely pull away in short disappointment. "Dannie? That you?"

"Morning," she answered quietly while shutting the door behind her. "It's okay if I come in?"

"Of course!" Joker excitedly stated. "Come here sweetheart."

Not really looking where she walked, she went to the bed and crawled in between her parents, trying to conceal her trembling lip from them, but her father's keen eye was no match for her masking.

"What's wrong DD?"

"I'm tired, that's all."

"Dannie, tell me what's wrong." His finger held her chin, and his concerned eyes stared into hers, "I'm your father, I'm here for you now."

"It was just another dream." She said very calmly as she pushed into her father and hid against his chest. "I want them to stop."

"They will." He hugged his daughter tightly, "I promise you, they will. But in the mean time, how about we get started on that 'you and me time' I also promised you?"

"I don't know, I'm just not up to it today."

"Oh come on baby girl! Go do something fun with your daddy! He missed you!"

"Now, now," Joker spoke to Danielle, "we don't have to do anything today if you aren't up to it. If you don't want to go somewhere that is forever plagued with my humorous story, you don't have to."

Her interests were faintly peaked. A place that has been associated with her father's life was more than enough to brighten her sprits, and a chance to be able to see and witness this sure to be inspiring place was something that made her blood yearn to adventure in.

"Where?"

"Oh you won't want to go…" he rolled his eyes upwards and acted progressively more bored, "It's just an old filthy run down factory…"

"…Factory?"

"Yea," Joker stretched his arms above his head and smiled. "But that nasty old dream has dampened your once beautiful little out look on life, full of laughter and smiles into a shadowy frown that humiliates you. I doubt that engaging in an outing with your father, The Joker, would be of much fun, especially since we'd just go to the Ace Chemical Factory."

"Ace Chemical Factory!? You're gonna take me to the Ace Chemical Factory!? The Ace Chemical Factory where you fell into the chemicals and then...and Batman…and the acid…and the change…and the life altering realization as you plundered into the vat…and-"

Joker flashed a finger over Danielle's mouth and Harley laughed. "Breathe." Her nerves were back flipping as she listened to her father. Slowly she took in a deep breath before Joker removed his hand. "You may continue."

"And then became The Joker…and fought with Batman…and went to Arkham…and met mom…and then made me…"

"That's right!" Joker said as Harley giggled. "But you wouldn't be interested in going out, you should just wallow in your depression on the couch and bother yourself into a dark and _gloomy_ day."

"I want to go."

"What?"

She sat up onto her knees, "I want to go to the Ace Chemical Factory."

"No, you don't want to go. We'll just hang around the house…play with the hyenas…and, maybe watch a movie."

"I don't want to watch a movie, I want to go to the factory."

"But you're gloomy and 'just not up to it'. I understand Dannie, maybe another time."

"Listen bub!" She exclaimed with a strict finger pointed at her father, "I want to go to the factory! I don't want to sit on the couch and watch a movie or sit in my own sweat as I feel pity for myself! I didn't want my dad to come back to just be my father and to make us a family again, I want him to help me! So come on! Get outta bed! We gotta get to this factory!"

"Well okay, if you _say_ so."

"I do say so! Now I'm going to go get ready, if you don't mind."

Her exhilaration made him proud in elevated thrill. The _desire_ she had to learn all she could about him was nothing in itself but devotion towards his brilliance. And that loyalty led to a sweet addiction in his mind. It silently hinted, just barely scraping the surface he admitted, that his sweet bundle of villainous joy would have _no limits_ in her attempt to follow in his foot steps. Oh, Gotham was in a world of chaotic trouble, all because this sixteen year old genius decided to choose him as her role model. "Of course. You have some new clothes in your closet. And when we get back home, you'll have a bigger bed."

"When did I get new clothes?"

"I had some of the boys go and get some things last night for you. As well as some food for us and the hyenas, now go on, get ready."

"You still have henchmen that work for you? Even after eleven years?" Danielle asked getting out of the bed.

Harley got up as well and pranced over to her old closet, "Well of course sweetie girl, your father's employees are and always have been very loyal."

"Because he'd kill them if they even suggested a breakage in that loyalty." Danielle quipped.

"Oh yeah! One slip, and POW! They wouldn't have enough time to say bye to grandma. Though I am running a little short on staff."

"I thought they were loyal."

"Well for the most part they are. But, it seems that most of them have found their lost little ways into the heart of Black Gate, or into the mind of Arkham…even into the stomach of their mother's attics." His eyes lolled carefully to peek at Danielle who had stopped at the bedroom door, her hand on the handle as her mind began to whirl. "And I'm sure you can understand that it's hard to come by a good henchmen, one that's sufficient with a gun, quick, smart, able to handle stressful situations without crying in fear, plus being able to operate a fork lift…that's a plus."

"What about…ya know Jasper?"

"Jasper?" he asked. "Oh, Jasper wouldn't want to work for me, he's starting out on his own, he's even got his own 'villain' name now."

Harley had stopped picking out clothes for the day and was now intently listening to the conversation. "Jasper won't work for your father Dannie, you know that. He doesn't like to work for anyone, only himself."

"But, maybe if I talk to him about it. Maybe he'll try it out. You have to admit, he's good at what he does. He's got a great shot, he loves what he does too and I'm pretty sure he can operate a fork lift."

"I don't know Danielle," Joker huffed. "Your little Rush seems to just be an independent worker, but if you talk to him and he does say he'll give it a shot…then I'll give him a shot too."

"Does that mean, that if he says yes, he'll stay here with us? He can keep me safe…if you and mom ever leave?"

Joker's brow crooked. She was afraid, even though she said she wasn't traumatized by what happened to her, she was still afraid it could possibly happen again. Where had her confidence run off to? "Yes Dannie."

"Alright, I'll talk to him about it. I'm going to get ready."

The door shut behind her, and Harley looked to Joker with a venomous scowl.

"What?"

"You're taking Danielle to the Ace Chemical Factory?"

"…Yes."

"I wish you would have talked to me about it first. I don't think it's a very safe place to take her right now."

"The place has been abandoned for decades! What's so unsafe about it?"

"I just don't really want her goin' there Pud'. Not right now anyways."

He tilted his head very curiously, "Come here."

"I don't think I want to," she said looking through her lashes at the floor.

"And why is that?"

"Because I feel like I'm in trouble, and I don't know why."

"You're not in trouble, daffy thing. Now come here." She took very hesitant and small steps toward Joker, sucking her bottom lip in nervously until she reached the side of the bed. "You walked like a bird over to here."

"I'm afraid."

"Well that's no reason to walk like a bird. Don't be hackneyed; clowns are nothing to be afraid of."

Harley took a seat next to him and fiddled with her fingers while shortly grinning, "You put glass into babies bottles...you're a scary clown Pud'."

"Not every babies bottle…I didn't put any in Dannie's."

"Aw, I miss having her so little. Remember when she used to just be this big?" she stretched her hands farther apart from one another, letting only a short gap be shown.

"Yes."

She turned toward Joker and straddled up onto his lap. "I remember this one time, when she was seven. We had just gotten back from the ice cream parlor and were watchin' TV in the apartment. I was flipping through the channels, and Dannie was getting situated on the couch. I landed on a station, and they were having a special on Arkham."

"I remember being interviewed for some hoodwink prime time television slot. They said it was going to be called, Arkham Asylum: Most Notorious."

"That's what was on. They did a count down," Harley giggled, "of the top ten patients that have been admitted there. The whole time we watched, Danielle kept saying 'Daddy's gonna be number one! Just you watch!' The whole two hour special went on, and she was just as persistent as when it began, "Daddy's coming up soon, he'll be number one. I promise you momma, I promise'. So we watched and watched until finally they introduced the number one notorious inmate at Arkham. And as soon as they said The Joker, your daughter jumped out of her seat, threw her ice cream bowl about fifteen feet away from her, and then fell off the couch and onto the coffee table breaking her arm against the corner of it. She wailed so loud and when I saw what had happened I knew I would have to take her to the doctors. But she refused to leave the television until the program was over."

"She broke her arm?"

"Yea. Cried all the way through watching you, but she was smiling too. Biggest smile I'd seen from her in a while. And when you hummed that silly little song only you and she knew, she hummed right back." Joker smiled as Harley held his hands and moved as close as she could to him, resting her head on his chest. "She loves you more than anything in the world Puddin'. She really does."

He felt coldness on his finger suddenly, and realized it was the ring he had given Harley so long ago. "I think it's time you take that off."

"Take what off? My ring?"

"Yes."

"But Mistah J, you gave it to me on our wedding day and-"

"And that's why I want you to take it off. If I was myself, that day would have never happened."

Harley sadly gripped the ring and slid it off, "So I guess its back to bein' boyfriend and girlfriend then huh?"

"I want, to be myself. I don't want these feelings anymore. I don't like them, they annoy me."

"What feelings?"

"The remorseful ones that lead to other feelings! I'm tired of them and you keep bringing them back up!"

Harley immediately got up and took a few steps back, "Okay, I'll stop. But wasn't our little Dannie a cutie when she was just a baby?"

"Yes, and she still is. Now get off of me!"

"Jas? You awake?" Danielle peered into his room and found an empty bed, neat and tidy with tucked sheets and all. "Jasper?"

She took a few steps into the room and looked around further. A small dresser was pushed tightly into the far corner of the room, and she could see Jasper's faithful gun sitting on top of it. Danielle ventured to the weapon and picked it up, it was coated in the finest materials, a sturdy handle and precise measurements, just the right weight when holding it up to shoot, strong and fully loaded. It was Jasper's favorite gun, even though it belonged to his father before him. And he despised his father, from what she could tell through all the stories she had been enlightened with.

"I thought I told you not to touch that gun."

She whirled around surprised by Jasper, "I didn't think it was your fav gun. I thought it was a different one…sorry." Danielle set the weapon back down and smiled. "You found the shower?"

"Yes." He tightened his jeans with a belt, his hair damp and disorderly, and then leaned a hand against the wall.

"Sleep well?"

"As good as one can with Smilex in them."

Danielle passed him smiling but he grabbed her wrist and playfully pulled her back to him, "I'm sorry for what happened last night."

"It's alright."

"If I would have had a line with me, I could have calmed down. But I wasn't thinking when I changed into the cop uniform…and then I left my supplies with my original clothing."

"Jasper it's alright, I know."

"But I could have really hurt you Dannie. I was pushing you backwards toward the railing, what if you're father wasn't there to keep you sa-" he paused, his eyes wide at the awareness of what he was about to say.

"Safe?"

He strengthened his hold on her wrist, tight enough to make her grit in discomfort. "I won't let it happen again. You don't need your dad to keep you safe, I can do it just fine. Understand?"

"Are you mad at yourself for saying that my dad kept me safe?" she asked in amazement.

"I didn't say it."

"You were going to! Are you honestly upset that you were going to say that?"

"I didn't say it!" he yanked her hand up to the side of his face, spitting down at her. "I didn't say it! I wouldn't have hurt you! I would have snapped out of it before I did any real harm! Your father didn't keep you safe, he did nothing!"

"Yes he did!"

"No he didn't!" he threw her hand down and then grabbed a folded shirt off the bed, slipping it on. "It made no difference if your dad was there or not."

"My father…" she fumed, "has kept me safer than you ever have."

The whites of his eyes grew dark and red as he threw the back of his hand right against her cheek in blind fury. The strong burn on her skin was subtle but then grew in what seemed like a never ending punishment. Pressing a hand to her cheek she took one step back and marveled at the ground. Tears began to slide down her face, while slow jagged heavy breaths toiled out.

Jasper took one hefty step towards her, still yelling down at her in rage, "I've kept you safe! I've been the only one keeping an eye on you for months! While your superb father hid in Arkham and while your loving mother kept away from the streets, I was there! I was! Not anyone but me! And-"

Danielle bent forward and kissed him, right on the lips. Softly, for just a short time, and it felt outlandishly right. It felt like nothing else. It was filled with devotion and for the first time she actually experienced love for Jasper, truly sensed it. There was no way she'd let him know that.

When she pulled away, Jasper seemed serene, "Why'd you do that Danielle?"

"I'm going to the Ace Chemical Factory with my father. I'll be back later."

"I'd rather you not go," he said in his state of shock. "It's dangerous over there."

"I'm going with my father. And I'd like for you to work for him."

"What?"

Danielle looked at the floor, shocked herself that she was able to kiss Jasper after just being hit by him. "You're going to work for The Joker."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because then you'll be able to stay here with me, and keep me safe when my parents aren't around. Help my mom around the house today, my dad's low on staff I guess."

Jasper watched her begin to leave the room but he clutched her shoulder first, "Dannie, I love you."

"I know you do," she wiped away her tears and turned back to him.

"I'm sorry, for hitting you."

"It's okay," she sniveled, "I deserved it."

"What?!" he lowered himself to look straight into her eyes, "You didn't deserve that Dannie." Jasper kissed her forehead and then hugged her. "Try to have fun with your father, kay?"

"I will."

"_Dannie?! You ready to go?_"

Jasper let go of her and smiled, "I guess you'll tell your father about this?"

"No. My mom doesn't tell when my dad hits her."

Joker opened the door, "There you are! C'mon! We got things to do! Oh! What are these? More tears baby princess?"

"Yea," she giggled. "Jasper told me a really sad story. And oh! Jasper would be glad to work for you! Right Jasper?"

"Yea…sure."

"Well good!" Joker gave an applauding smile to more so himself than Jasper. "Let me just give you a quick to do list for today. Dannie? I'll meet you downstairs okie dokie?"

"Okie dokie."

Jasper shoved his hands into his jean pockets as soon as Danielle left the room. "You know you should be looking for whoever hurt Danielle, instead of scoring brownie points for being a shitty father."

"Easy Gumball."

"I'm getting tired of taking it easy. It's hard not slipping up in front of Dannie and blowing this whole thing. I don't understand how it can blow up anyways…so you hired someone to look after her, while you sat in Arkham like a fucking bastard! We haven't even a clue on who hurt her! We should be looking around!"

Joker stared at Jasper with a dark grin, "Who says I don't know who hurt her?"

"…You know who hurt her?"

"Possibly."

"Why the hell didn't you tell me! We probably could have gotten him already! Killed him, sliced his damn throat open and let Dannie know that she never has to worry again!"

"Gumball, if I was in the position to do that, it would have already been done."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know where he is, I know who it is, but the tiny fool keeps waddling away."

Jasper narrowed his eyes, "Who is it?"

"Well I'm sure all the folks at home understood who from what I just said, they're obviously a bit smarter than you. But you see the thing is, it's one of his weak minded employees. I get to the bird, I eventually get to the worm."

"An employee of someone else, is who actually hurt her, so who's the 'bird' we're looking for to get to the 'worm' then?"

"Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot."

Jasper smiled and let out a quick chuckle. "He's dead, you killed him."

"Was dead. Batsy called," he swallowed hard, "for paramedics."

"You're serious? Penguins alive? He was shot in the throat, and lived? No ones heard about him in years, how has he stayed so low?"

"Doesn't matter, he's alive and a few of his little hatchlings hurt my girl. I get the bird, I get the worm…and then I get the Bat for saving Oswald's life. If he would have just let him die there," Joker seethed, "none of this would have _happened_."

"How the hell am I supposed to keep this from Danielle?"

"You keep it from her, or I hurt you!" Joker snatched Jasper's throat with his strong grip, "Badly…"

"Alright."

Joker let go of his throat and then turned toward the door. "Oh, one more thing," he looked over his shoulder and walked back to Jasper.

"Yea?"

Joker stopped in front of him and smiled slyly, before landing a hand on each of Jasper's shoulders and kneeing him in the groin. Jasper whelped in immediate pain, falling to the floor as Joker kneeled over him, grabbing the collar of his shirt and venomously taunting, "You ever hit my daughter again, I will break every bone in your meaningless body. I will cut every tendon and every vein and pull your eyes out with my own hands. I will not tolerate abuse to someone I love. Understood?"

"_How did you know_?" he squeaked.

"I said understood!?"

"_Yes_!"

"Good! I'll be seeing you Gumball. Do be sure to keep Harley company, if I remember correctly she gets to be awful gloomy when I'm away. I'm sure now will be even worse. And I do expect you to somehow make it up to Dannie for what you've done. Now I'm off to be a good bad-guy father."

As Joker slammed the door shut behind him, Jasper closed his eyes and rolled to the side with his knees bent and hands firmly over his groin, "_Why did I fall in love with The Joker's daughter_?"

* * *

**Well hey there! I suppose I'm back! I took a break, a much needed break, and will slowly be getting back into my weekly or bi-monthly update thing I used to be so good about. Thanks for being patient! And please as always, review!**


	15. Chapter 15

Ch 15

Knees drove the vehicle instead of hands as Joker examined his nails, tediously studying the blackness of them, as if he had never really known they had been this shade before.

"You know that's dangerous?" Danielle pointed out laughing.

"It isn't dangerous. I do this all the time when I'm in the car. Just, usually your mother is the one driving."

"Have you even driven a car in the past eleven years?"

"It's a debatable question."

An eased smile stuck with her as she leaned back heedlessly in her seat. Gazing at the ceiling of the car, she could feel the constant burn on her cheek, a persistent reminder of what Jasper had done, and what she had done in turn. It was just a slip and he'd probably never do it again. He hadn't had one of his lines in a while, and going through all this stress with her and her mother and father was new and he got frustrated, and that was that. He apologized, he new what he did was wrong, so it'd be best if she just let it go, so she was.

"Oh, Dannie," Joker asked in astonishment, "what's that bruise on your cheek? Did you fall?"

_Great! _There was a bruise! Of course! "A bruise? I don't remember falling." She played it off and pulled down the visor, quickly checking in the mirror to see a bruise so deep in color her jaw dropped instantly. It'd only been forty five minutes since Jasper had hit her, and she didn't think it had been _that _hard. But the swelling and hue was black and purple, deep and dark, with four very prominent knuckle marks. She found herself to be very speechless.

"Don't remember anything?" he touched his finger to the mark on her cheek and Danielle jumped back in pain wincing. "Sorry baby princess…well maybe it was from last night hm? I often find myself with wounds and what not the next morning when I've been out an about the night before. Probably nothing. We'll be sure to watch it though kay? Pretty coloring too."

"Yea, we'll watch it."

Joker rolled his eyes in thought and then very rapidly made a sharp turn to the left, cutting in front of speeding oncoming traffic, "Woops, almost missed my turn!"

"I can see that, doesn't help that you're speeding in a heavy traffic area dad. It's broad daylight out, try not to make yourself too noticeable huh?"

"Speeding? I wasn't speeding, I was just trying to keep a safe distance between our car and the one behind us. Now I think if I take a right here, I can make a short-cut to the factory!"

Again he swerved, this time to the right, vaulting Danielle out of her seat and slamming her back against her father's side. "Dad! Slow down!"

"You weren't wearing your seatbelt? I've told you thousands of times to wear that damn thing! Have you remembered a single thing I left you with?!"

"I forgot it!"

"If you don't wear it, you could get hurt!"

"Stop!"

"I just want you to be safe! I don't want you flying through that window and then leaving me and your mother…oh think about how your mother would feel! She'd be all sad and droopy like."

"Stop thinking about others first and think of yourself! Be The Joker!"

"I am being The Joker!" he screamed. "I'm just trying to think what's best for you!"

"No you're not being The Joker! You're being Jack Napier!"

His. Jaw. Dropped. "What did you say?"

"…Nothing."

"What, did you say?" his breath erratically asked, as he turned to her with scarred red eyes.

Danielle pressed away from him as the car screeched to a halt. "I said you're not being The Joker. That's all."

"What did you say!?" Joker screamed again, coming within inches of her sweating face.

With a shaking chin, she said his forbidden name once again, "Jack Napier. But don't worry! I haven't told anyone! I never will!"

"You knew my name. You _know_ my name. That's what they wanted to know from you! Why didn't you just tell them! You would have never been hurt!"

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do! They just wanted my name! You would have never been…raped if you just told them Danielle! You could have been safe! Why didn't you just tell them…"

"Because I know what's linked with that name."

He saw her tears well in the corners of her eyes and he pulled her to him in a quick instant, "You should have told them…"

"But then they would have had your name! And then they could have linked you to murders you did before you were The Joker! And that means they can give you the death penalty, because you weren't 'insane' as Jack Napier! I'd rather be raped then lose my dad forever! I still had a chance to get you back, and I wasn't letting that go!"

"Dammit Danielle."

"I've known since I was five…I just, knew in my thoughts what your name was. I also knew you didn't want me to know, so I never said anything."

"Since you were five?" he looked into her eyes and then pushed her head against his chest, hugging her warmly. "Dannie…"

"I'm sorry."

"You can't ever let it slip again. Not even around me. Knowing that name is the most dangerous thing I can think of. Understand?"

"Yea. You and I are the only ones that know?"

"Yes, you and I. So never mention it again," Joker let her go and unclipped his seatbelt.

Looking out to the side, Danielle could see the factory and slowly she let herself out of the car. "I won't. So this is where it all began huh?"

"Yea." He joined her side and wrapped his arm over her shoulder. "This is it."

Danielle gazed at the giant façade of the building. Rotting wood and rusting steel spurred in various spots as paint flecked and chipped in random areas. Abandoned shafts and doors lived around it, while ladders leading to upper windows were visibly broken and shattered. "This place is a dump."

"Well it wasn't just a few years ago, it was rather pleasant, a good place to read books and nonsense."

"Yea yea…oh look!" Danielle sprinted to the front doors when she noticed a spread of bullets splattered against the wall. "How cool…"

"Don't go running off, you're mother would have an aneurism if she knew you were running wild…on second thought-"

"Come on! Let's go in!"

Watching her run in he began to quicken his pace, "Did you listen to a word I just said?!"

"Maybe! What did you say?!"

"I said don't run off!"

"Then no I wasn't listening…wow…" she mumbled at the presentation of everything in front her. Bullet holes in walls and on the vats were enough to create a wild daydream of what had happened so long ago. Men shouting and yelling, trying to command others on what to do. The offense beating down the defense then suddenly the defense taking turn on its own and obliterating the offense. Back and forth as bullets sprayed heedlessly, and through it all was her father climbing up the ladder with as much speed as he could muster, running away from Batman. Until finally the unthinkable happened, he jumped with no where else to go, and became her father, The Joker. "Dad?"

"Hm?"

"Which vat did you fall into?"

"Here," he grabbed her hand and very lightly walked to the bulky silver holder with rusted marks on its outside ring. "This is the one."

"It hurt."

"What hurt sugar?"

"When you fell in, it hurt so bad."

He consoled her by petting back her hair, "It wasn't a kiddy ride I'll tell you that."

"No," Danielle smiled, "from what I see, it wasn't."

"You see what happened?"

"Well it's that whole inherited your mind kinda thing, you know where I gained some of the knowledge you and mom have. Weird thing…"

"Oh. Right. Well let's have a look see up top eh?"

"Alright!"

As soon as she reached the ladder, Danielle grabbed onto one of the rungs and pulled herself up. But sheepishly she turned back to her father, "So, you and mom do anything last night?"

"Not really."

"Anything, you know, fun?"

"If you're talking about sex then no."

"No? I thought that would have been the only thing you two would have done…geesh I remember some nights I couldn't even sleep because of you two going at it. Ew."

"Alright enough! Go!"

"What did you two do?" she asked beginning her climb.

"We slept."

"Together?"

"Yes of course together!"

"Did you make out?"

"No!"

"Why are you getting so angry?" she giggled.

"I'm not getting angry!"

"You're angry _because_ nothing happened huh?"

"No I'm not angry because of that!"

"Then why are you yelling daddy?"

He soothed his voice, "Because you're my little girl, I don't want to talk about things like that with you."

"Aww," she looked down at him and rubbed the top of his head, "You want to give me the talk?"

"No," he laughed.

"Good because I obviously know everything about it…You know one time I was really bored, and I had gone up to mom and asked where I had come from. She said to me 'you know where you came from baby girl, from momma's tummy' and I told her that I knew that, but I wanted to know _how_ I got there. Oh the look on her face was priceless! I knew how I got there, but I just wanted to mess with her…it was the greatest thing haha!"

"Sadistic child of mine," he laughed again, "now hurry up."

Finally they reached the top and Danielle walked cautiously down the aisle until she found one of the walkway bars to be bent outward. "This is where Bats pushed you?"

"Yup."

Running her finger along the bend, she looked over and down into the vat, "That's quite a fall."

"If you look hard enough you can see that the bottom of the vat has dents from my elbow and head."

"You were already going to jump when he pushed you. Bats is silly."

"Yes, but-" The screeching halt of tires made him stop and grab Danielle. "Be quiet." He strictly commanded as he walked her down to the far end of the walkway.

"_Who is it?_" she asked.

"_I don't know, shh._"

"You sure they here? Boss would be mad if they wasn't here."

"I'm sure they're here, parked there car right out front didn't they?"

"Yea Burt they did, yea."

Joker hid himself and Danielle in a small shadow, watching the two men enter the factory with guns drawn, "_Do you have your phone?_"

"_Yea_."

"_Good, text Jasper, tell him to come here right away, tell him we were followed._ _Stay here, don't come down unless I tell you to._"

"_You can't leave me here! You can't!_"

"_I promise I'll come back for you._"

"Where did they go Burt? Where did they go?"

"Would ya stop callin' me Burt!? And I don't know, but they got to be here somewhere." The man crouched as he walked, peeking around vats and corners searching for any movement with a sly grin on his face, "Come on out! We know you're here!"

Joker reached the ladder to go back down, but before he did he looked back to Danielle and smiled. "_It'll be okay_." After seeing her nod he slid down the ladder quickly, creating little noise, and quietly tip toed behind the vats, out of view from the men.

"Why does Boss even need Danielle back Burt?"

"Because he never got what he needed, that damn Rush guy got to her before we could break her! Now shut up!"

"Kay Burt…"

"Oh Joker? Joke and a Joke and a Joke…where ya at big guy? Come on out and play! We won't bite!"

Finding a comfortable bin to hide behind, Joker leaned to the side and peeked around its cylinder shape. There were four gasoline barrels in the opposite corner of where he was, but to know if they were filled or not was a subtle problem. He didn't want to kill them either, at least not both, but that gas could come in handy. He wanted to get some information from them before he went down that route however. Deciding on what to do, Joker whistled loudly and then immediately ran back behind the vats to the back of the building while the men's attentions were caught.

"What the hell was that? Go check it Ernie!"

"Alright Burt." He wobbled over to the whistle and surprisingly found nothing. "Burt, there's nothing here."

"So you do want to play games huh? Alrighty then."

As the men twirled trying to find him Joker reached the gasoline barrels and pulled off one of the caps secretively.

"Ernie, head up top to the walkway and give us a birds eye view."

"Kay Burt."

"_Shit!_" Joker mumbled leaving the barrels to sprint back to the ladder. He made it there without being seen, and pushed himself into a dark corner to hide until Ernie made a lazy appearance, scratching his chest.

As soon as Ernie grabbed onto the ladder Joker jumped out and latched onto him from behind, covering Ernie's mouth and bending back his neck until he heard a loud pop and gurgle.

"What was that? Ernie? Ernie? God dammit what did you do this time?"

Joker scaled the ladder, leaving Ernie dead on the floor, and waited for Burt to come check on his ill friend.

"Ernie? You up top...oh take a look at you, dead…and I've never given you a kind word have I?"

As Burt kneeled by Ernie's side, Joker aimed his gun onto him, "You can do a lot more with a kind word and a gun then with just a kind word."

"Alright, now take it easy." He dropped his gun seeing that Joker's had already been aimed and ready, and steadily raised his hands above his head.

"Why are you here?"

"My Boss wanted Danielle, that's all."

"That's all?" he smiled and dropped down from his spot. "You just want my daughter that's all?"

Burt backed up into the middle of the room, "Come on just let me go, and I'll tell my Boss we couldn't find you guys."

"And just who _is _this so called Boss? Hmm?"

"You know I can't go out and tell, come on Joker."

He thrust the point of the gun to Burt's frontal lobe, "You tell me, or I kill you point blank. I've been locked up for a long time and I'm out for fun and a whole lot of vengeance! So if you have to whisper it in my ear you will!"

"Alright! _Penguin_."

Dannie watched up from her hidden spot, not really sure what was going on, but it looked like her father had the upper hand at least.

"Oh really!?" Joker lowered his gun and brightened the room with his smile. "You know I've been meaning to pay him a visit! Happen to know where he is?"

"Yea, I do."

"Where is he!" Joker growled.

"Up there," and Burt pointed up and behind him to the adjacent walkway, where none other than Penguin stood, short and round in his tuxedo suit, all glittering with his nonsense top hat and monocle. And all around him were dressed up henchmen with guns of there own pointed at Joker.

When Danielle looked up at where her father was gazing, her fears were let loose. Her jaw shook and her mind tumbled, "He's dead…" she muttered, "He's dead." She didn't want her family to be broken up again, not again.

Sighing Joker grinned, "Ossy! It's been forever! All these years you've been hiding in your little coop huh?"

"You finally…came out of your propitious cage at Arkham. So I delighted myself in making a grand appearance myself."

"And what's in store to this 'grand appearance' any, oh you know, purpose?"

"A mentionable one at that my friend. You're daughter is needed for questioning."

"And you believe I'll just give her up? You know exactly why I shot you in the throat in the first place."

"That I do," Penguin shuffled a few steps to the side, "You changed quite a bit from your usual gestures into just an outraged husband and father. What's so unique about that?"

Joker narrowed his eyes, "You look like a hot air balloon from here Pengy."

"Excuse me?"

"You're not very, intimating…I mean you have just the right shape and everything! Look at you! You could start your own business if you really had the ambition!"

"Where's Danielle?!"

"Did you really think that was going to work? Why don't you just take me instead? I'm the real deal."

"You would never tell us what I need to know! She however, is more liable to bite."

"It's because she's prettier than me isn't it!? Sob!" He threw a distressed hand to his heart. "Even after I spent hours doing my make up! Oh wait…"

"Fine! If you won't tell me where she is, then we'll just make _her_ tell us where she is. You, fire now!"

Danielle bit her lip as she saw one of Penguin's henchmen take a shot at Joker's feet, but she remained silent. She knew not to squeal.

"Woo!" Joker pranced in his spot. "These shoes are expensive easy!"

"Why didn't she come out?" Penguin asked one of his men and when they only shrugged he quaked, "Shoot again!"

Again one of the henchmen shot at Joker and Danielle turned away, covering her mouth and coiling in unraveling emotions.

Penguin slammed his foot down on the walkway and turned to another henchmen, "We'll just have to use a little more heat, hop to it."

Seeing one of the men begin to slide down the ladder and head for one of the barrels of gasoline, Joker looked to Penguin as he readied to lower himself off the ladder as well. "What are you doing Pengy?"

"If I can't get either of you to come forth of where she is, then I'll just watch you both die from a safe altitude in my chopper."

One of the men pressed a gun to Joker's temple and then cuffed him securely to the stairway that led into the same vat he had fallen into. While this was being done, other men poured the barrels of gasoline along the walls of dry wood and all over the entrance doors. "Why do it this way?" Joker asked.

"Even you should know, that doing things this way is just more fun. And look at the irony Joker. You'll end where you started."

Joker smiled as everyone began to exit, "Clever Pengy."

"Thank you friend, and through my kindness, I do hope it doesn't hurt too badly. Ta ta!" On his ending word a match was thrown into a watery pile of gas as they ran out and left them to die. Flames raced around the entirety of the building in just a few a seconds until the fire itself began to climb up the walls rapidly.

"Dannie!" Joker shouted, "Dannie come down!"

She ran as fast as she could, her loud steps echoing along with the fire as she finally reached the ladder and slid down. "Penguins alive?!"

"Don't worry. Come here, take my coat off."

"Why?" she asked ripping his coat in order to get it off his chained hand.

"You can't get out of here, all the exits are blocked with fire! Take my coat and get into one of the vats they won't burn! Use the coat to cover yourself if the air gets too thick!"

"Well I'm not leaving you!"

"Just do as you're told!"

"No!" she yanked at the bar he was cuffed to but it didn't budge an inch. "I don't want to lose you again! I hate Oswald!"

"We'll get out of this, just do what I say!"

Danielle held his jacket close to her face and quickly scanned everything around her before giving her father the warmest hug she could have ever thought possible. "I love you dad!"

"I love you too."

"If we get out, promise me you'll be The Joker, no more easing into it. Just be yourself."

"I promise. Give me your phone okay?"

She gave her dad a quick kiss, handed him the phone and then ran up the stairs to the vat and climbed in. Joker tugged on his cuff and coughed as the heavy smoke already began to pound against his lungs. Flipping open Danielle's phone, he saw a picture of the three of them, Harley, himself, and Danielle when she was five. All huddled together laughing. He straightened his thoughts and typed in a number before hitting the call button. Just a couple rings and the funniest high pitch voice he loved answered.

"Dannie girl is that you?"

"No Harl, it's me," he chocked on the air but persisted on. "Where are you!?"

"I'm with Jasper, he said Dannie says you were followed? Where are you?"

"I'm at the factory! Penguin set it on fire! The only way out is from the top! Or one of the walls falling down! I'm chained to a pipe and Dannie's safe for a while! She's in one of the vats so it won't burn! But it'll get hot soon!"

"…Is this a joke?"

"…No!"

"Penguins dead Puddin'…are you pullin' my leg?"

"I will wring your neck if you don't figure out a way to get our beautiful daughter out of here!"

"Oh my God! You aren't kidding! We just pulled up in front! Oh my God! Oh my God!"

"Shut up, stay focused!"

"Jasper they're inside! Dannie's in one of the vats, and Mistah J is chained to a pipe. Puddin' says there's no way in or out unless you go through the top or if one of the walls falls down…"

A burning roar and loud creak caught Joker's attention. As he looked up to see what it was, his first instinct was his daughter. "Dannie!" he screamed as the walkway broke in two and swung down swiping against the top of the vat and slamming down inside of it.

"What happened!?" Harley panicked.

Danielle screeched in pain as her arm and leg were hit by the heavy piece of metal. She crouched and moved away from the broken walkway in tiring pain, grimacing all the while.

"Dannie are you okay?!"

"It hit my arm and leg! I think they're broken, for sure my arm!"

"Okay hold on, Jasper and Harley are outside!"

"Is she okay?" Harley asked.

"She may have broken her arm and leg!" Joker yelled over the fire.

Jasper looked to Harley, and saw the fear rising in her complexion. "Hold on."

"To what? What are you doing?"

He threw the car into gear and slammed on the gas, "Let's be hopeful this car doesn't have a gas leak!"

"That's not funny!"

Soon they smashed through the burning doors and squealed to a stop just inside the building. "Stay in the car!" Jasper told Harley as he jumped out and ran to Joker. "Where's Danielle?!"

"In the vat!"

Jasper ran up the stairs to the vat and looked in to see Danielle cuddled against the wall, "Dannie!" he shouted, "Give me your hand!"

"Jasp?" she looked up and smiled, and very eagerly gave him her good arm to pull her out with.

Harley couldn't stand it, she needed to get out of the car and help, so she did.

It was dark and smoky by now, it was hard to see what was what. But Joker felt hands touch his and then he felt them slide down to the cuffs he was burdened with. Clicks and clanking came from his cuffs, then suddenly his hand was free and he could pull away, but instead he was dragged and yanked back to the car and then humorously shoved into the back seat. And there his visibility came back, and on top of him was the cutest lookin' jester all dressed up in her usual harlequin outfit with a bobby pin in her hand.

"Good thing you made me get lock pickin' lessens huh Pud'!"

"Harley…" he smiled at her suit and make up and lovingly petted the ears of her cowl.

"It was supposed to be a surprise for when you got home…"

"Oh was it?" he frowned disappointed that her surprise was somewhat ruined.

"Yea…surprise Puddin'!"

"Thank you Pooh." He held her cheek and pulled her down to him, kissing her excitedly with clandestine fervor and giggles.

Jasper set Danielle in the front seat and then quickly entered the drivers door himself, throwing the car into reverse and speeding out before anymore damage to the building could be done while they were inside. He parked the car a good distance away from the factory and sighed as he pressed his head back against the head rest, but feeling a few sneaky fingers slide in between his made him smile and turn to Danielle.

"Why are you holding my hand?"

"Because you saved me, _again_."

He noticed the bruising on her cheek and his smile changed into a steady unexpressive line, "_Was that from me?_" he mouthed.

"Yea. But I don't really care."

Jasper leaned over to her as she leaned to him and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "I love you Danielle. Hopefully one day you'll see that, and you'll be able to trust me and love me back."

"Maybe I am starting to see that. I'm still not ready to say it though, I need time, okay?"

He smiled and leaned toward her again, locking lips and kissing her gently for a longer amount of time.

Joker, grinning, couldn't help himself, "Oh you devil…look at you go!"

Jasper pulled away embarrassed, grabbing the wheel and readying himself to drive. Danielle smiled at her father then looked back to Jasper, "If you're going to be apart of this family, you're going to have to get over being shy in front of everyone."

"I know," he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close and kissing her head. "Now let's get you home and take care of your arm and leg."

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**Please Review.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16

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"Okay baby girl, go get em'!"

Danielle looked up at her mother, what was considered her mother anyway. She didn't see that comical mom, that daffy and funny woman she used to know not all that long ago. "I don't want to."

"Dannie," Harley knelt down by her young and scared daughter, "we do this everyday, and everyday it's the same response. You have to do this."

"They just make me sit on the bench the entire game!" She stomped her foot. "I don't care if the state, the police, or even Commissioner Gordon say I have to have extracurricular activities! What difference does it make if I sit on this bench for an hour an a half, or our patio bench for an hour an a half!?"

"I know baby. But you know I can't do anything about it. If I don't take you to these practices and games mommy may get put back into the rehabilitation program. You don't want me to go away and get reevaluated do ya?"

"…No."

"Then be a good sport, and you sit on that bench with pride knowing you're The Joker's daughter. And don't you let anyone put you down for it. Besides you look real cute in that uniform. Daddy would be pleased with the color choice."

"The purple baseball suit's the only good thing about being on this stupid team." She tugged her cap down hard over her eyes and with a great heave turned on her heel, marching away from her mother in absolute rivalry.

She held her mitt close to her chest as she suddenly slowed her pace and kicked at the dirt to her team's dugout entrance. Trying her best to ignore the intense stares that her fellow team mates gave her, Danielle ritually made her way down to the end of the bench, far away from any of the normal chit chat the other seven year old girls were accustomed to. She'd never been given an idle 'hello' from any soul in this whole worthless league. Not from an umpire, teammate, coach, no one. All she got were stares and name-calling. The worse was that no one even stopped them, not even her mom.

Danielle pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her heels against the bench seat. Pulling her mitt closer to her face, she swore she could smell that funny perfume her father would always put on. It _was_ his mitt, far too large for her small and dainty hand, but she had encouraged (demanded) that she use it if she were to be placed in such dire surroundings. And Harley had given in after several battling arguments, and snuck it to her without anyone knowing the mitt had been his.

"Alright girls!" The coach had clapped his hands together and all the girls had jumped up and grabbed their mitts, running onto the field as she stayed behind, dampened spirits and all. It was horrible.

Not soon, and the first batter was up. Her teams pitcher winded up the best she could and tossed a rather slow moving ball straight towards the catcher. It was an easy hit for anyone, and when the batter made contact with the oncoming ball, it soared high into the air above the first baseman.

But she truthfully didn't care, and washed away back to remembering when she and her dad had practiced throwing and catching.

"You keep practicing on a good strong throw Dannie girl, and you'll teach Batsy a thing or two!"

"What…are you supposed to play catch with Batman?"

"Well, not with baseballs!"

"With what then daddy?"

"Grenades!"

She smiled and looked back to the field where a runner stood on first, picking her nose like any normal little girl would do and Danielle couldn't help but giggle at the fact that everyone was watching her do it, unaware.

A ball was pitched and hit straight to the short stop, which flew past her and out into left field. She listened to the roar of the crowd and enjoyed the adrenaline that rushed through her from it. If the cheers were only for her, she could just bet that it would be an even greater feel.

"Time!" The umpire had shouted as her coach and other adults hurried onto the field to aid a fallen player, the left fieldsman. Looking now, Danielle could see that the player held her ankle in what seemed like pain.

A few minutes passed before her coach had picked up the hurt player, and brought her back to the dugout bench. Her coach whispered, just barely audible to Danielle's ears.

"Do you think you can still play?"

"I don't think so, it's real sore!"

He sighed and gave the injured player a pat on the shoulder, "Alright Gabrielle, I guess if you're too hurt, then we're going to have to forfeit our chances of moving on in the tournament."

It was just too good to be true! And of all things that silly coach had forgotten all about the notorious little girl sitting quite eagerly at the end of the bench. "I want to play."

He looked down the dugout perplexed by what had spoken. When he figured out what had actually made the dreaded statement, he stared as if an animal had just spoken plain English.

"I can play."

"Uh," he stammered, "…no…no we're going to forfeit. Gabrielle is hurt."

"But you can put me in for her. You don't have to forfeit. Why quit if you have a player who is willing to play? Why stop after getting all this way?"

"Um…"

Danielle stood up from her seat and clenched her father's mitt so tight between her fingers they grew cold. "Please let me play."

The coach shook his head, "Sit down Danielle."

"Please," she took a very petite step forward and swallowed as her heart fluttered hard in her chest. "Please? Just this once? Until you can find someone else for next weeks game."

"Do you have another able player coach?" The umpire asked, checking his watch.

He looked back at Danielle who bit her bottom lip harshly. She wanted it more than ever.

"_Please._"

"We uh…yea. We have another player."

The heaviest sigh of achievement passed through her lips and she smiled and gated out of the dugout past her coach and to the field.

"Boo! Get her off the field! Boo!"

"What the hell are you thinking!?"

"Get that sick freak away from these players!"

Danielle slowed her run as she looked over her shoulder at the seated fans. It seemed all of them were against her, all of them plagued by what her father had done to them and for it she was blamed. But as she made it to her spot out in the left field, she managed to see her mother behind a chain link fence, happily video taping her. It made the negative calls seem to disappear, and very discretely she waved to her mother who waved energetically back.

She put her mind on the game though just as quick. If she had learned one thing from her father, it was to keep your mind on the game and to not let unnecessary things falter your concentration. That, and to give your crowd a show they'd never forget. They'd never forget this, that was for sure.

"Up to bat, number eleven, Sophia Schmickle."

"Schmickle," Danielle mocked and pulled up her pants for a comfier fit.

A small movement caught her eye on the mossy grass beneath her, and she gave a quick glance to see that a small roving beetle was crawling on single blade of the dew-covered meadow. It was slowing as it made it's way into a small peek of sun, readying to warm itself. Danielle grinned a malicious little smirk and raised her hand just high enough to block the suns tiny ray that had been shining on the grass. Realizing that the sun had magically disappeared, the beetle, in a disappointed way, turned around to find a new source of warmth.

But Danielle slammed her plastic spiked cleat straight down onto the unaware beetle and dug the toe of her shoe back and forth on his withering life.

"Dannie!" Harley had shouted to her, "Pay attention!"

She didn't look to her mother, only pounded her fist into her mitt and got into a ready stance in her spot. "Right. Mind on the game."

"Strike three!" Danielle could hear the umpire shout, and soon her team had their first out.

It was a tad lonely out where she was, but it beat seating on that dreaded bench. At least out here she had bugs to stomp on, and she _was_ participating.

A sudden mind-crunching squawk sounded from behind her, and she twirled around to see a small chirping black bird pecking at the ground in search of food.

"Quiet! I'm trying to keep my mind on the game!"

Danielle, satisfied as the bird stared at her, turned back around, ready to focus. But that black little bird chirped again.

"Back talker eh?! Now you listen here!" she pointed with a strict finger. "I don't have much respect for birds, so you go on looking for worms without fussin' around with your idiotic and gut-wrenching noises and we'll be just dandy with one another. Got it mister?"

The bird cocked its head quickly to one side and silently blinked at Danielle's words.

"I said got it?!"

"Are you talking to a bird?" The center fieldsman asked.

Danielle looked out the corner of her eye, and turned back to the game without answering her teammate.

"Were you talking to that bird?"

She ignored the repeated question and watched as a hit ball was grounded towards the first baseman for another easy out.

"Did you just talk to that bird?"

"Yes!" she screamed. "I talked to the bird! I told it to shut its little beak because it's squawking was belittling my sophisticated mind!"

The young girl tucked her chin to her chest, nervous, and turned her attention away.

And as Danielle huffed from her excitement, she tugged her cap down over her eyes again. "Of course I was talking to the bird…dummy."

Only two innings had gone by now, and still Danielle hadn't a chance to bat. It was going to be a close call if she even _were _ to bat for the umpire had declared that this was their last chance to score because it was beginning to rain heavily. And with two outs, and one run down, it looked slim. Although, let it be known, she was up next.

But the current girl up to bat was always the worst on the team for batting. Danielle couldn't remember one time the girl had been on base.

"Up to bat, number thirteen, Gloria Witte."

Danielle sighed as she watched Gloria walk awkwardly to the batters box. She felt she'd never get up to bat. And it wasn't like she'd have another chance after this. She'd be replaced.

But just as her spirit dried up, the pitcher threw the ball straight at the batter and hit her square in the helmet. "Take your base!"

How perfect! How lovely a day as this that she would get her first and final chance to bat! To be able to participate! With her mother video taping the whole thing as she played! Danielle stood up and walked down the dugout to the opening and took a much-needed deep breath.

"Alright Danielle," the coach kneeled in front of her feeling comfortable with her presence. "We're down a run and have two outs. If we don't win this game, we don't qualify for the next section in the tournament." He handed her a bat and gave her a pat on the back, "You're a good fielder, got three outs for us in just two innings. How are you at batting?"

"I don't know," she honestly said. "I've never done it."

The coach secretly smiled at her, "Well let's see your grip."

Danielle wrapped her hands around the neck of the bat with her knuckles in line of one another and gave a wanting look to her coach.

"Well that's real good! Thought you said you'd never done this?"

Staring at her hand placement, she wiggled the bat and smiled. "Daddy told me that I should have my hands like this when strangling Batman…so this is a bat…next best thing I suppose."

Her coach stood up with a quick shiver running down his spine at her comment, "Yea…uh…just keep your eye on the ball kay?"

"Ja Herr!" she saluted and marched to the batters box.

"Up to bat…number nine…_Danielle Quinn_." The audience instantly began to 'boo' and down her for being there.

Her smile dampened as a soda cup was thrown at her and she flinched away.

"Another thing like that, and you'll be outta here! I don't care who she is, no trash will be thrown at my players!" The umpire screamed to the crowd, and Danielle was thankful with a smile in his direction.

She reentered the batter's box and took a practice swing. She thought this would be pretty easy considering the pitcher threw the ball pretty lazily. And sure enough Danielle was right, as the first pitch came drooling by. But she let it go, and for it she was 'booed' again.

"Ball one," The umpire called.

Danielle took another swing and caught sight of her mother, still videotaping the entire thing. She gave a hard look to the pitcher and smiled a wide, toothy, cruel grin. The pitcher hesitated, but then began her throw.

She set her sight onto the oncoming ball, "This one's for my daddy," and took a astonishing swing, making contact with the ball and sending it searing far and fast past all of the outfielders.

The crowd went dead silent from its 'booing', all the fielders stood in dead awe, Gloria stood dumbstruck, and Danielle watched in amazement.

"Run Dannie!" Harley shouted as loud as she could. "Run!"

Danielle saw Gloria start to run, and she clicked her heels and bolted down to first base just as quick as her legs could take her.

Her coach tore off his hat and cheered, "Go! Go! Go!"

Round she went on first, heading towards second, if only her father could see this grand moment! Finally rounding second, she saw the fielder at last pick up the ball and throw it towards the infield, to where she didn't know and lastly didn't care. She had her sights on third and knew home was only that much closer.

"Come on Dannie girl! You can do it!"

"_Come on Danielle_" she inwardly pressured herself, "_win the game!_"

Running towards third, Danielle noticed that the baseman there was crowding the base, trying to prevent her from touching down onto it. Danielle had no other choice but to slow down and try to creep her foot in to touch the base, but as she did, the baseman literally shoved her into the dirt, causing her to roll hard into the opposing dugouts fence.

"Dannie!"

Bruised, bashed, and cut, she looked up from the dirt and saw the ball reach the second baseman and drop out of her hands. Gloria had just passed over home plate, and now all she had to do was get up from the mocking ground, and make it to that same spot.

"You better stay down!" the third baseman warned. "You spawn baby!"

Danielle chuckled at her new name, and saw the second baseman throw the ball to third. "You better watch your back."

Just as soon as the ball hit the girl in the back of the head, Danielle stood up and limped as she ran to home plate. Each step more painful than the last. But she kept on, getting closer and closer to her goal until she was just a step away. The ball was thrown to the catcher and she immediately swung her arm to tag Danielle as she slammed her foot down onto the base, falling down onto her knees in cringing pain.

"Safe!" The umpire excitedly screamed. "Safe!"

Her team cheered and celebrated in the dugout, all high fiving one another in glee. She'd won the game.

And that cheering made her feel accomplished despite the terrible pain she felt through out her body. She rolled onto her back and gritted her teeth as her coach came to her side, "Don't you worry, we all saw what that girl did to you. And even through it, you didn't quit. Way to go kid."

"I want my mom." She said quietly.

Her demand was answered quickly as Harley picked up Danielle gently, "You did it baby!" but then looked to the coach, "Are they going to do anything about what that baseman did to her?"

"I…uh…" he stammered again a little afraid of the fact that he was talking to Harley Quinn, "probably not…her father operates the league…"

"That's ridiculous." She wiped away some of the dirt off Danielle's face. "You okay sweetie?"

"I want to go home."

One of the parents ran onto the field and shockingly threw a rock straight at Danielle's face, hitting her in the forehead before Harley could take notice to what was going on. "Get out of here you killer!"

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Harley shouted, tucking Danielle away as she held her already bleeding forehead.

Danielle's coach quickly took down the oncoming parent who still screamed in hysterics. "You sick fuck! How dare you have a kid with that maniac and force our kids to play with her!"

"Mom!" she cried into Harley's neck.

"Don't worry baby we're leaving, you'll be okay."

"Daddy's mitt! I have to get daddy's mitt!"

Harley rubbed the back of her daughter's head, "Where's it at baby?"

"In the dugout…"

They quickly grabbed it and left for the car, as brawl after brawl continued on the field. "I'm sorry Dannie."

"Don't make me go back! I want to go home! I don't ever want to play again! Daddy wouldn't make me play!"

"No baby, I promise. You don't have to go back."

Holding the mitt to her face, she cried. "Daddy wouldn't have _made_ me play…"

"Dannie? Wake up sweetheart."

Her dusted lids bleated open to the sound of the familiar voice, and soon came to recognize a familiar smile. "Dad?"

"Still feeling a little groggy I bet huh?"

"Why…" she looked to the side and saw medical supplies sitting on counters, the room was unfamiliar to her. "What's going on?"

"Don't remember?" he carefully lifted up her arm for her to see. "When we got home we realized that you hadn't broken your arm at all, but you did have a rather large piece of metal stuck in it. Kind of weird that you didn't feel it, but no matter! Daddy played doctor and got it out."

"…You put me under?"

"Anesthesia silly girl."

She winced as Joker put her arm back down at her side. "Where's mom?"

"Not sure." He stood up and stretched as he took off a thin plastic coat that was moderately covered in blood.

"Is that…my blood?" she asked dazedly.

"Mmhm! Cool stuff huh? When I pulled that metal sucker out, woo boy, did you gush!"

"Where's Jasper?"

"I sent him to get some more guaze, I had enough for now, but we'll have to re-dress you every now and again. Said he was going to make a stop at a friends place too…"

"Oh." She stared past her father and noticed another blood coated plastic coat. "Did you wear two coats?"

Joker looked over his shoulder, "Ah, no, that was Jasper's."

"Jasper did surgery on my arm with you?"

"Good thing he did too! If he weren't around you would have lost more blood than you already did! Two makes things quicker you see."

The room seemed to spin as she tiredly rested her head back against the pillow. "Dad…"

"What princess?" he suddenly noticed her hand reaching out for him and he took hold of it. "Careful, that arm just went through surgery you know."

"I don't feel very well."

"That's normal after waking up from surgery."

She looked at him very quaintly, "Why is Penguin alive?"

"I don't know."

It wasn't a response she thought she would have received. "I thought you killed him?"

"I thought so too," Joker let go of her hand and carefully hoisted her to an upright position on the surgery bed. "But at least we know he wanted information from you. So maybe he's the one who took you, or had you taken."

"Where are we?"

He looked around as if it weren't obvious, "The surgery room."

"But…where?"

"At our house of course. You really must not be all there yet."

Danielle heard a door close softly and soon the voice of her mother, "Did she wake up?"

"Well she's awake but she's not certain where she is," he laughed.

"When's Jasper coming home?"

Harley pushed back the hair from Danielle's forehead. She could see visibly that she wasn't feeling well. "I don't know, he's only been gone for a short time."

She held her breath and made a wincing noise in her throat as the room began to spin again. "I want to go home."

"You are home Danielle, I just told you that. What's wrong?"

Her arm stung, it was painful and sore, annoying and aching. So she moved her good hand to the stitching and tore at it slowly.

"Danielle stop!" Joker grabbed her hand and pushed it away. "You can't do that! Now I'll have to stitch it again, what's wrong with you?"

"It hurts!"

He stared dumbfounded at her as Harley took hold of her hand so she couldn't paw again. "Of course it hurts! I just did surgery on it!"

"Don't yell at her, something's wrong!"

Joker pinched the opening in her skin together to stop it from bleeding. She hadn't torn the entire stitch out, just a part of it.

"Don't! It hurts!" she cried.

Joker ignored it as he quickly threaded a clean needle and stitched the small opening closed. And though his daughter screamed and moaned in agony as he did it, it was what he had to do. Through her last effort of struggling, he wrapped the ending bit of gauze he had around her arm, hopeful that it would stop her from tearing the stitching out again.

As she breathed heavily in ragged breaths, Joker cupped her chin and turned her head towards him. "What is wrong with you?"

"I just want to go home!"

"You are you home!" he stated. "You're home Danielle!"

She relaxed her head to the side, letting her watery eyes and slacked jaw do what they please, and pleadingly looked to her father. "Please, _please_ just take me home."

"I told you, you are home!"

Harley grabbed Joker's attention, "Take her to her room, maybe that'll jog her memory."

He nodded rubbing the back of his head, and then gently began to pick her up.

"No! No! No! It hurts! Don't!"

Joker let go, "What hurts?"

She turned her head to the other side and now looked at her mother, "I want to go home."

"Dannie, daddy's trying to take you home. You have to let him lift you up so he can okay?"

He ran his fingers through Danielle's hair, rightfully concerned about what was going on, "Can I take you home?"

"I want to go home."

He looked his daughter in the eyes, "I'll take you home. Trust daddy?"

"Trust daddy." Danielle weakly said after a moments thought.

"Okay sweetie," and again he slowly began to pick her up, but soon again she screamed.

"No! It hurts so bad!"

"God dammit Danielle! What hurts!?" She arched her back and yelled as if the world were falling on top of her and Joker pushed her back down onto the bed. "What hurts!? You need to tell daddy what hurts so he can make the pain go away!"

Danielle calmly restrained herself and tapped her fingers against her forehead in thought. "_It_ does."

"What's _it_?" he asked determined, "baby girl, what's _it_?"

"_It_." She looked her father in the eyes like it was the simplest thing to comprehend, "_It_."

* * *

**OMG finally right? Well I have to say I'm really rather proud of this chapter, I'm going to be conceited about it. I am not however, proud of how long it took, and the fact that I had to re type it, but I'm glad I did because it turned out even better. You may not get what _it _is, or even what the heck is going on, but if you do? I want to know what you think...even if you don't know, tell me what you _think_ is going on. I'd be mighty happy to know my reader's thoughts. And thank you so much for waiting, I know it was a ridiculous amount of time to wait.**

**Please as always review :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"Dannie," Joker said low, "I don't know what 'it' is."

His brow furrowed as he watched in curiosity at the flutter of her eyes. It resembled the likeness of such a weak and dreary entity trapped in a stirring and swelling whirlwind.

"It hurts," she said again, her voice wincing in unimaginable frustration, tired and pitiable in her condition.

"I know," he let his hand press against her heated forehead, "just close your eyes baby. I promise it won't hurt if you close your eyes and rest."

"But I want to go home!"

"Rest and then I'll take you home sweetie, I promise."

"No!" she flashed to her mother, pleading in the world's ending days. "Please!"

"Listen to daddy baby girl. A short rest ain't gonna hurt ya any."

She looked back to her father, "No, I don't want to see it again!"

"See what?"

Danielle gritted her teeth and flexed her arm as she dug her fingers into her forehead. "It!" she screamed. "It!"

He pulled her hand away from her head with fear in his grasp and pressed his forehead against her temple as he closed his eyes. "Please Dannie. Close your eyes and sleep. It won't be there."

"It will be there! I don't want to see it! It hurts! I just want to go home!"

Joker looked up at Harley to only see her beginning to cry. He hadn't a clue what was wrong with Danielle, and her being in hysterics wasn't going to help him. "Do you want something to make it go away Dannie?"

Her gentle flittering eyes set on something distant as peripherally she saw her father reaching for something behind him. "Dad?"

"Yes princess?"

She hissed and clenched her hand in his shirt for only a moment and then slowly relinquished from the pain of the medicine Joker had injected into her neck. "_Thank you_."

The last thing she remembered was the feel of her parents hands in hers before she was plummeted back into the world she wanted to erase so devotedly.

The second the car came to a complete stop in front of their rental, Danielle bolted out of the vehicle and ran to the front door, crying in agony all the way.

"Danielle come here!"

"No!"

"Danielle Quinn!"

She couldn't bear to talk at the current time, the only thing that plagued her mind was to get to her room and to get there fast, without the accompaniment of her mother. And finally getting inside the house after tripping up the walkway, she managed to slam the door shut and lock her mother outside, giving her enough time to be able to secure herself soundly inside her room.

Running down the hall way she could hear the jingle of the front door as her mother desperately tried to open it. "Danielle! Don't you dare do it again! Come open this door right now!"

"No!" she screamed again.

She reached her room and closed the door as she heaved between sobs. Her quick little hands reached for her desk chair and gracelessly she dragged it over to the door and jammed it underneath the handle. Just barely within her limits she could hear the faint sound of the back screen closing shut and the hurried steps of her mother.

Danielle fell to her knees in front of her bottom dresser drawer and pulled it open, ruffling left to right for her precious memory with her father.

"Danielle open the door!"

She screeched horribly loud in absolute intoxication of her adrenaline rushing and finally grabbed tight of the picture frame that held the photo of her father and her. Danielle placed it on top of her dresser and stared into her dad's frozen eyes, "Why did you leave!?"

"Dannie please!"

She stood back and heaved her chest dramatically in and out, "Why don't you come back!?" The sound of her mother's frantic steps began to sound again, beginning loud and dying casually. "What did I do wrong!? I love you everyday daddy! Why do you want me to live a normal life!?" She slammed her hands in confusion against her head and fell to her knees, "Why won't you come back!?"

"Danielle!"

She looked up to see Harley trying to open her window. "Just leave me alone!"

"Baby please! Just let me in so we can talk!"

"No! No! No!" she yelled and reached under her dresser where a small gap that barely fit her hand was located and fingered around for an object she had hid there. And once she found it, she enclosed it within her hand, not sharing it with her mother as she stood up and stepped away from the dresser, staring at Harley with the gloomiest of glares.

"Dannie? What's in your hand?"

"It's my fault!"

"It's not your fault baby. You didn't make daddy leave. Do you have something that can hurt you again?"

She secretly looked at her object then peered through her lashes back at her mother. "Yes."

"We talked about things that can hurt us, didn't we sweetie? Put it down for mommy, and open the door. Okay?"

She felt her shoulders begin to shake with grief, "But it's my fault!" And she pulled the razor blade that she took from Harley's bathroom out of her hand and to her skin.

"No! Dannie! Stop, please listen to me!"

Danielle watched as Harley tried to undo the window with the most intense desperation she had ever seen from her before. But the strongest urge to punish herself was eating away her thoughts. It was her fault he left, there was no other reason. How dare she burden her father's great mind into leaving! How dare she make him love her! He was The Joker! How dare she make him any different than who was and who he was supposed to be!

"It's my fault!" She said one last time before pressing the razor into her skin and slicing down the length of her arm, over and over and over again right in front of her mother's heartbreaking eyes.

"Danielle!"

' "Damn the world around me! For they know nothing of my power and genius! They know nothing of my stage and my performance! They know not my intellect and for that they will be desecrated in my immortal being!" '

"Dannie stop! Baby please!"

She heard the window click in a give, but she kept on with her cutting in her delusional state. "And with this hand given to me by my god," radically she raised her hand high above her with the razor firm between her fingers, "I will gesture to him in a way that commits my enduring loyalty!"

Danielle tugged up her shirt and revealed her small eight-year-old stomach, clean of markings and soft as can be. With a drastic press of the razor to her stomach, she began to carve into her skin, listening to her mother cry out as she still tried to get through the window.

"I love you daddy! _I love you Joker_!"

"Dannie no!"

Her eyes shot open and she gasped for air upon waking up. It had been so long ago, but so vivid… She allowed herself to look around and surprisingly found herself to be in her parent's room on their bed. Agonizingly weak and sore, she managed to get up, "Dad? Mom?"

She placed a hand on her stomach and walked into the bathroom. A sharp piercing pain thundered in her head and she winced, falling to one knee.

"Get up!"

Danielle looked over her shoulder, "Dad?"

"I said get up!"

With the little strength she had in her, Danielle grabbed onto the edge of the sink counter and pulled herself up, looking to her side to see that her father had miraculously moved quickly right to her side. "What's going on?"

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and twirled her to face the mirror, both of them side by side, his charming smile captivating. "You're growing up."

"I don't understand."

"You will." His eye trailed down onto the counter where a razor sat unused. He grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it up just under her breasts and smiled at the very dull and healed cut. "I think that we honor ourselves Dannie, by honoring our past."

She swallowed, "That was a long time ago, I was confused."

"No!" he grabbed her chin and yanked it up towards his view. "You were so far in your right mind when you were younger! You knew exactly what you were thinking and you knew it was right!" He reached for the razor and flicked one of the blades off and then forced it between her fingers. "May the dreams of your past be the reality of your future."

Her jaw shook in confusion, "No, no. This is wrong."

"Wrong? This is wrong!?" Joker yelled harshly into her ear, "Damn the world around me!"

Danielle began to tear up as spittle fell against her cheek and ear, "Stop dad! This is happening so fast!"

"Say it!"

"No!"

"I said do it!" He gripped her wrist and yelled again, "Damn the world around me!"

"For they know nothing of my power and genius!"

He pushed her hand with the razor to the now fainted mark on her stomach and pressed his smile against her cheek as he spoke again, "They know nothing of my stage and my performance!"

"I don't want to do it!"

He seethed under his exterior and tiredly kissed her nose, "You really don't want to do it?"

"No…" she shook her head crying. "I don't want to."

Joker sighed, drooped his shoulders, and spoke disappointedly in her direction, "After all these years, you'd think you would have learned something by now."

"What?"

"Come now Danielle! Why do you think I left in the first place?"

She thought for a second but responded quickly, "To keep me safe."

"Of course baby," he chuckled and held his hands to her cheeks, "of course. But do you remember why I wanted to keep you safe?"

"Because of Oswald."

"No," he said sternly. "No…because you made me feel for you. Danielle. You made me love you, even after you knew I was to be myself! The Joker! It's you're fault, Dannie. It's your fault!"

"I know," she bowed her head.

"I don't want to go around pointing fingers princess! But you have to agree, once you have a look at it, it makes a lot of sense. You even figured it out when you were younger."

She choked, "I'm sorry!"

"Now now baby! No tears! Daddy understands how hard it must have been for you, alone, no one to connect with, no one at all to relinquish your mind torturing thoughts to, I understand."

"I was confused."

"I know, I know." He again pushed her hand to her stomach, but this time spoke softly in her ear, "They know nothing of my stage and my performance."

"They know not my intellect and for that they will be desecrated in my immortal being." She cried at the sting of the cutting. The greatness felt doubled of what it had been before when she was younger.

"And…"

"And with this hand given to me by my god, I will gesture to him in a way that commits my enduring loyalty!"

"That's right," he smiled and kissed her forehead as she continued to cut into her forsaking skin. "I created my own immortal standing Dannie. I created you. You are my immortality. Endure your loyalty!"

"Forgive me!" she swayed down to her haunches, her body shaking in pain. "Please forgive me!"

Joker pushed her backwards onto her back and straddled her down, reaching his long fingers around her throat, as he laughed hard into her being. "Make me proud!"

She shut away her vision; it was too brutal to recognize her real father. It was terrifying. "I will!"

"Don't ever let me down again," his lips played along her jaw line and she squirmed beneath it. "Show the _world_ what I've created…show them I live on forever!"

A high-pitched creak sounded behind her, and she arched her neck as she lay on the ground to see her mother standing in terror by the door. "Mom…"

"Oh God, what did you do!?" she ran to Danielle's side and rested her hand against her bloodied stomach. "Baby why did you do this again?"

"Dad…" and she realized he was gone. Vanished. Nowhere in sight.

"You cut so deep sweetie! Why did you cut yourself again?"

"Daddy told me to."

Harley's hands were covered in blood as she tried her best to stop the bleeding, but she knew it wouldn't help. "Joker! I need you! When did he tell you to do this?"

"Just now, when you came in…didn't you see him?"

She licked her lip as her jaw shook, "No baby. Daddy's been downstairs with me."

"No." Danielle looked around for him, holding her breath in short intervals at the pain in her gut. "He was here."

"What's the matter Harley? …What happened?" he dashed over to them and fell to his knees by his daughter's free side. "Danielle what happened?"

She really couldn't comprehend it, he had told her to do it. "You told me to! Tell mom that you were just here! That you told me to do it!"

"I would never tell you to do this!" He wiped away the blood between her navel and rib cage to reveal the cut, and when he saw exactly what it was, he felt his heart drop.

"He wasn't in here baby! Why did you do it again?"

"Again?" Joker asked shocked.

"I told you!" she screamed. "He told me to do it! Tell mom you were here!"

"I wasn't in here Dannie! I was down stairs!"

"No you weren't…you were right here! You told me to cut the 'J' into my stomach again!"

He held her face tight so she could really concentrate on what he was going to say, "Why would I tell you to cut it into your stomach again, if I didn't even know you did it in the first place?"

Her fierce eyes widened in realization after a seconds thought. He was here, but it was true, how could he have known about her past? No one had told him. It wasn't long after that that she began to hyperventilate in fear of what was going on with her.

But Joker held her close despite the bloody mess, "It's okay. I'm here."

* * *

**Please review :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"Dannie!"

She could just faintly hear it, her name being called in an excited whisper right next to her ear. But she couldn't pull herself out of her much needed restful sleep.

"Dannie! Wake-up!"

Frigid hands touched her shoulder and her eyes flashed open, beads of sweat painting her forehead. "Dad?"

"Come on, I've got something to show you!"

His strong hands cupped her arms and he lifted her up with such great ease, excitement and difference in his aura all the while.

"I'm so tired," she lulled as her weak heaviness provided difficulty, "I just want to sleep."

"You've had enough sleep! Come on!"

She didn't put up much of an effort to defend her wish as she was dragged more than helped out of bed, "What do you want to show me?"

"It's a surprise! Oh you're going to love it I just know it!"

Danielle smiled at the excitement in his voice, it was pitchy and sporadic in its darkness. Soon though her grin dulled as her head began pounding with a hearty head rush.

"Dad, slow down, my _head_…"

He didn't even seem fazed by her words and if anything quickened his pace down the stairs, heaving her right behind him. "Come on! Come on! We're almost there!"

Another few steps on the stairs and they were quickly planted on the carpeted living room floor. It was dark, no lights were on, and nothing was particularly visible, however one thing did stand out.

"It's just over here," his words calmed and gently he grabbed her hand, leading her toward the same object that she could barely see. "It's perfect just for you."

Each step was complete torture to her, the endless possibilities of what this sacred thing could be. And then they were magically there, so quick in front of something so much more then godly, so much more than who she was and who she was the daughter of. It was a defining tool to declare ultimately and rightfully who she belonged to.

"Do you love it baby? It's just for you! Manufactured with the highest of qualities!"

She reached a shaky hand out to it, holding on to her father to keep her wobbly balance in tact, and dare she think how soft and smooth it was. The seaming was so true, the colors so invigorating. She could feel her lip shake as she was powerfully intoxicated by its meaning.

Just as she stretched her hand upwards to feel the length of the piece, her father's hands clenched her shoulders from behind and his deathly whisper murmured so clearly in her ear. His breath pattering her mind.

"I believe it's been a long time coming."

"I don't want to put it on."

"But you should."

Her fingers coiled as her hand retreated, "I don't want to."

"Danielle," he pressed his cheek against hers and performed a saddened frown, "I've gone through all this trouble to get you this. Do you not like it?"

"I…I love it."

"Then put it on," his tone commanded darkly.

"I'm not ready."

"You've always been ready! You've been brain washed to think you aren't!"

His tone frightened her, made her flinch with each new word he uttered. "Dad, you're scaring me."

"I'm scaring you?" he asked. "My dear little jester, you've seen nothing from me that should frighten you. Not yet. But you will. And when you do you'll be motivated by it. Entranced."

Danielle turned to look at him, his eyes meeting with hers, gracefully flittering as she watched him lean in and kiss her forehead.

"Put it on."

And so she did, the make-up, the suit, and the cowl. So similarly the look of her mother's suit however taking place of the red and black was a magnificent purple and green. A combination of her father and mother into one.

It was such a representation of who she finally was, who she belonged to, her destiny that could never be broken or altered, only guided.

"There," he said in a dreary cheerfulness. "That's more like it…now for the main event."

"The main event?" She asked as she twirled around to see him, her world becoming more and more altered.

"Of course! You've dressed your part now it's time to play!"

In an instant everything around her changed, thrown into an alternate universe where carnival lights flickered on and off while cotton candy stands stood on dirt and hay covered paths.

Game booths with zombie like operators were mingled on the sides, their unhappy faces sagging in misery as if they were deemed to live and perform here for the rest of their lives. And down the path litter flew and bustled across. Empty popcorn boxes and pretzel wrappers roamed lost, without a care.

Janitors in orange jump suits stood, hunched over like depressed condors, sweeping aimlessly at the air below them, gathering nothing but remorse. And watching them closer, she could see their faces begin to melt, drip onto the floor and then dissolve with a hiss.

Fear and disgust overwhelmed her, she felt her legs begin to take over as they stepped back away from what she saw. But bumping into something startled her as a low groan was heard.

"I'm sorry!" she said, spinning around and taking a few steps back from a man with a camera hanging around his neck. His jaw hung open like a home to wandering flies who came and went as they pleased.

"Are you okay?"

His head held a brimmed hat, sprinkled in pink polka dots with a blue backing, and his shirt was a tropical Hawaiian tourist one, loose and unflattering. Looking down she could see brown scuffed shoes and shorts, and a pair of long knee socks ruffled around his ankles.

Danielle looked over her shoulder and then back to the tourist. "Who are you? Where am I?"

His eyes drifted away to something distant, something behind her and she looked again. A large circus tent was there now, it hadn't been before. It was accompanied with hundreds of lights, glittering in splendor. The only half lively thing in this bizarre place.

She turned back to the man and realized his face was melting just like the janitors had, dripping to the floor and vanishing.

"I'm…going to go to the tent?" she asked. "Is that were I go?"

He stood silent. His hat tipped to the side.

"Dad?" she twirled around feeling hopeless and looking for him, wondering where he had gone and so many other things. "Dad! Where are you?!"

A menacing chuckle sounded behind her, and when she looked the tourist was smiling in a mocking way. Belittling her if she so boldly thought.

"What are you laughing at?"

His head tilted back and his chuckle grew into a laugh, loud and piercing as it turned into something recognizable. The tourist's face suddenly had life, structure and vitality. His clothes became colorful instead of a grayish valued tone as they had been, and through it all he suddenly became someone she knew.

"Dad?"

But his laughter didn't stop as he lowered his head back down to look at her, constant mirth boiling from him.

"Where am I!?"

Still laughing he picked up the camera that hung around his neck and aimed the lens at her.

"What's going on!?"

He snapped a shot and Danielle flew an arm over her eyes at the intense flash the camera produced. She felt herself stumbling backwards and tripping, falling hard against the dirt and gasping. She took a moment to stabilize her eyes, and when she felt she could open them she saw her father's eyes leering into her own.

"I want to go home!"

He smiled and she seethed.

"I want to go home! Please! Get off of me!"

"You want to go home already?" he cocked his head comically and laughed as he sighed. "We haven't even begun."

"What's the point of this?"

"_Everything_."

She shut her eyes as tight as she possibly could and cried, "I want to go home! I want to go home!"

Once again she heard him laugh, and angry by his actions she opened her eyes and stupendously he was gone.

"Dad?" she stood up and dusted off her suit, looking out as far as she could to see where he could have gone. "Dad!?"

Overwhelmed she turned to the circus tent, it was still there, flashing and enticing her to go to it. And at this point where else did she have to go? Feebly she made her way there, passing the meaningless janitors and booth game operators with minimal but enticing interest.

She finally reached the tent and carefully grabbed the opening flap to enter but was stopped by a nagging screech.

"Excuse me miss! Excuuuuuuse me!"

Danielle turned around and half fainted in hilarity at who was screaming. "Mom?"

"Mom? HA! I ain't fallin' for that ol' gag! Now where's your ticket!?"

"Ticket?"

"Of course! Geesh! Ya need a ticket, to get into the show."

Danielle gave her mom a look over. She was wearing slacks and a striped white dress shirt with a bright pink bowtie. A black hat comforted the top of her blond ponytail hair. "Where do I get a ticket?"

"Right here ya numb for brains! Ain't you evah been to one of these? You're parents musta been real loonies for not takin' you to the circus!"

"More than you think. Fine give me a ticket so I can go in."

"Well I ain't gonna just give ya one! You gotta pay for these!"

She was completely confused by the whole situation, but she played along, "How much?"

"How much she asks! How much? Oh brotha....you ain't too bright are ya?"

"Just tell me how much."

"Don't matta, we're sold out. Full house."

Danielle sighed frustrated, "Well how do I get into the show?"

Harley puckered her lips thinking, tapping her nose exaggeratedly until she thought of a solution. "Tell ya what kid, I like your dress sense it goes real swell with all the rest of the performers. I'll give you a spot in the show!"

She shrugged, what other choice did she have. "Okay, what do I do?"

"You'll figure it out! JAMBA!!"

"Jamba?"

Seconds passed before the ground began to shake. Clumps of dirt and hay rattled as a large toned shadow started to pass and cover Danielle.

"Jamba, take this young lady to the Ringmastah if you please."

Her hand was taken hold of by something she could not see nor hear, it was an invisible force. "Whoa!"

"Don't worry, he's a softie. Wouldn't hurt a fly! Have fun!"

She was lifted off the floor and taken through the front entrance of the tent, her free arms and legs flailing in unsure fear. "Put me down! I can walk!"

As soon as she was inside she was tossed into the center ring where she rolled and tumbled to a halt. She got onto her knees and coughed away the dust in her throat, "Couldn't have just set me down?"

Slowly she stood and soon realized that a spot light was centered on her, everything else was pitch black, nothing but night surrounding her. Dust stirred around her feet as she looked to where the light was coming from, she couldn't see who or what in this weird world was manning it. So smoothly she took a step to the side, still staring at where the light was coming from, and watched as it followed her. She scurried backwards and still it followed.

"Turn that light off!" she yelled. It only in turn beamed brighter.

"Start the show!"

Danielle turned on a dime to where the voice had come from, somewhere from out in that darkness.

"Start the show already!"

That time it came form a different spot, and so she turned to it and stared with narrowed eyes, trying to see just who was calling out.

Another spotlight flashed on and journeyed quickly to a spot in the audience where she could scarcely see her tourist dressed father throwing popcorn into his mouth, "Start the show!"

She shook her head and raised her hands to her sides, "I don't know what to do!"

"BOO!" roared the crowd, so loud that she could feel the vibration of their disapproval in her ears. And then it stopped, all at once and together they stopped.

"Start the show!" Her father clamored, tossing popcorn into the air and letting it fall into his mouth. "Start the show!"

She looked around her, she hadn't an idea what to do.

"Just start the show!"

Danielle smoothed the top of her cowl looking at the ground, thinking. Then as if by instinct it came to her. "Ladies and Gentlemen!" she lifted one arm out to the crowd, presenting her introduction. "I present to you…"

Her father looked at her with full interest, on the edge of his seat and popcorn box shaking in his hand in total anticipation of what she was about to present. But it seemed as if he hadn't really known her, or acted like he didn't. He was an audience member, she thought it through. He was playing his part? Maybe that's what Harley was doing too.

"Come on! What are you presenting!?"

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" she started over, feeling energized by being in the spotlight. "I present to you…"

She had to be truthful with herself, she didn't have a clue what she was presenting.

Joker stood up and slammed his popcorn down onto the floor, "We want a show!"

"I…I don't know what type of show is being presented. What's it called?"

"You're the Ringmaster! You should know the damn name of the show!"

"I'm the Ringmaster?"

All at once the crowd laughed in unison at her remark, mocking her words, vibrating her mind. And then all at once they stopped.

"I'm the Ringmaster… Well if I'm the Ringmaster, then this is my show!"

Her father smiled and tilted his hat to the side as he took his seat once again.

"It's…it's whatever I want it to be!" Danielle twirled slowly as she spoke, her hands raised up and her voice strong. "Ladies and Gentlemen! I present to you…the death of me!"

The audience clapped and hollered and excited themselves as Danielle pointed up to the spotlight, and just as she did it was turned off, leaving her in the pitch black mysterious ring she had landed in.

The sound of snapping fingers startled the crowd into careful silence, edging them into insanity while they waited. And then, a new spotlight fell onto the Ringmaster and she was dressed in a purple tuxedo just like her father's, a purple top hat and long black cane accompanying her.

She stood so quietly, eyeing the audience as a pestering smile slid up her cheeks. Suddenly she snapped a hand out to her side and pointed as a large pedestal rose from the floor. It was covered in every color imaginable, as if the rainbow itself had slammed into it and stuck there.

As the pedestal came to a stop, the Ringmaster then kneeled onto one knee and with her cane pointed behind her where spotlights from all over pointed as well to greet a parade of clowns and circus performers.

All singled into a strict line they entered, steadied steps with bowed heads. They were the damned.

And she their master.

As the parade slowly made their way to circle the edge of the ring, the Ringmaster stood and pointed her cane upwards, still smiling to the crowd. From above came a shimmering light, flowing down around her.

"My friends!" she shouted. "Your show starts now!"

A hurry of lights lit up the entire stage and the Ringmaster ran up to the pedestal to perch herself on top of it. She balanced herself and pointed with her gloved hand to one unsuspecting performer.

"You!" a drum roll sounded as the selected man ran into the center of the ring, singling himself out. "A gun if you please."

The man bowed and presented his palm where just as quick a gun appeared. He dashed to the edge of the pedestal and kneeled, raising the gun high above his head.

The Ringmaster opened her hand and the gun appeared in it. The crowd clapped in unison and the performers on the stage all swayed together as if they were one.

Faint music began to play as the Ringmaster took precise steps down off the pedestal and to the center of the ring, where she stopped and flipped her wrist for all the performers to disappear.

"Ladies and Gentlemen…have you witnessed confrontation? Have you seen with your very eyes the blood that spews when you are blinded? Do you have mercy on the pathetic souls that you so damn? Hobos and Tramps…I show you confrontation…I show you before your very blinded eyes…the mercy you have never shown. The very creature you shun and yet created. I present to you me."

All the audience at once screamed and then stopped.

"Witness this gun!" She held it high above her as the spotlight narrowed in on her, showing her out in all the blackness around her. "Witness these families…"

On each side of her, about twenty feet away, appeared in dim lighting a family.

"On my right, you see my father, my mother, and myself. On my left, you see my father, my mother, and myself. You may be wondering, what _is_ the difference? And my crossed eyed mosquitoes and bowlegged ants I will tell you! You see, the family on the left is true, and the one on the right? Well not so much."

The Ringmaster snapped her fingers and just like that Danielle was removed from the families, leaving just her father and mother to stand alone.

"I will demonstrate."

She pointed the gun harshly at the family to the right and as she did they cowered to each other and hid their faces. Again the crowd laughed. "You see? Quite pathetic."

Just as fast she pointed the gun to the family on the left and they stood so sure, unafraid, unaffected. "True, so true."

The Ringmaster snapped her fingers and out reappeared Danielle to the families.

"I have sadly been changed because of this! Once a stable, smart, creative, villainous girl! Once a frightened, slow, hidden, quiet girl! Now a horrible combination of the two! What shall be done!?"

"The death of you!" shouted her tourist father in the stands.

"Ah! But which!? One is safe, one is hazardous!" The Ringmaster pulled the two girls to the front of her and they kneeled down with their faces to the audience, their backs to a psychotic Ringmaster. "But which?"

The Ringmaster cocked the gun and aimed it down at her kneeling selves. Her smile began to die, but she steadied the gun. "I'm in charge of my show! I make the decision who stays! I make the decision on who gets cut!"

The girls lifted their hands into the air and closed their eyes.

"It's my show!" And she turned the gun onto herself, pushing the end of it to her forehead and screaming as loud as she could.

Joker stretched as he rolled out of bed, he felt his shoulder blades pop and he moaned at the delightful feel.

"Mistah J? Where ya goin'?"

"I need to go check on Danielle again, I'll be just a minute."

"I thought Jasper was watching her."

"I'm giving him a break, he's been watching her since he got back."

He stepped quickly out of his room and down the hall to where they had put Danielle at to sleep, Harley's room. Joker took hold of the door handle and discreetly turned it so as not to wake Danielle up. He peeked inside and immediately saw that the bed was empty.

"Danielle?" he threw open the door and jumped inside. "Danielle!?" He looked inside of the bathroom and still didn't see any sight of her. "Danielle!" Joker jogged to the staircase and looked down to the living room to see nothing but furniture, he glanced to the kitchen and still nothing.

He ran back down the hall, throwing open his room door and yelled. "Dannie's gone! I can't find her!"

"Is she downstairs?"

"No!," He went across the hall to Jasper's room and opened it, "Is Dannie in here?"

Jasper wiped his eyes, "No…you can't find her?"

"No, she's gone!"

Harley grabbed hold of Joker's arm, "What do we do?"

"I just checked on her twenty minutes ago, she can't be too far from the house if she did leave."

"Oh god…she's not okay right now! What if she left!?"

"Calm down Harley, we'll find her." Joker said. "I've already looked up here. Let's go downstairs."

All three of them bolted down stairs and searched around the various rooms and bathrooms, each time they looked in a new place they came up empty. It was a good ten minutes before they really began to panic.

"Would she just leave? Just like that? Oh god what do we do!"

Jasper stepped back inside the house from the front yard, "She's not out front…at this point she could have been gone for thirty minutes. That's enough to at least get into Gotham. Who knows where'd she be then."

"Puddin' do something!"

"I'm trying!" he grabbed her shoulders hard and gave her a shake, "just stop it!"

Her tears got the best of her and she started to softly cry.

"Harley, shh…it's okay we'll find her." He pulled her close for a hug and petted her head, "It'll be okay."

A loud heart-wrenching scream filled their ears and stayed there for the longest time. "That sounded like it came from the back." Jasper stated.

They all went to the glass sliding door and sure enough, about an eighth of a mile out, was Dannie on her knees with her back to them.

"Oh thank you!" Harley cried as she buried her face in Joker's arm.

The screaming started again, louder than before and went for several long seconds before a shattering gun shot ceased the yelling all together, and her small far away body gave limp and fell to the side.

Harley flinched at the gun shot and looked up at Joker with shock in her eyes, "Joker…"

But he didn't wait to listen to her, just handed her to Jasper and bolted out the door, running as fast as he could, as fast as he ever had before, almost too fast for him to manage as he stumbled over the mossy grass that was beyond the cement patio. She still hadn't moved, still hadn't turned over or stood up or anything. She was just laying there. Lifeless. He felt like it was taking ages to get there, to run that distance to his fallen pride and joy. And as he ran he damned himself for every decision he had made so far to make sure her life was as perfect as it could be. For getting into an issue with Penguin, for the wedding he had with Harley, for getting her pregnant, for falling in love with her, for meeting her, for getting sent to Arkham, for getting into trouble with Batman, for falling into that vat of acid, for killing his mom and dad, for being born. And for leaving Danielle when she needed him most!

He fell to his knees and picked up her body, cradling her against his chest.

"Dannie!" He said as he kissed the top of her head. There was so much blood along his gloves, soaking into his suit, smearing against his cheek as he felt his throat burn. "_Dannie_..._I'm so sorry._" 


	19. Chapter 19

**(I was asked to include song information if I ever listened to music while I wrote. For this chapter I listened to Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy. More so the Ocean's Eleven rendition. Enjoy.)**

Chapter 19

It was like a nightmare trying to get her eyes to open. A completely unrelenting agony as she begged internally for anyone to help, to just pry her eyes open so she could see. And then as if someone had heard her plea, her eyes pranced open, danced for just a moment until she was able to focus them.

It was dark, and shadows played along the far walls of the room, her father's room. She could see medical trays sitting on small carts next to the bed, filled with various tools, some covered in blood, a lot of blood. Lots of blood.

She moved her head to the side and just as quick moved it back at the rush of pain she had received. She let a hand move to her forehead and felt not skin, but a bandage, rough and soft at once wrapped around her head.

Danielle tilted her chin upwards and rested her head on the wall tiredly. She let out a saddened sigh and felt the unneeded urge to cry but she held it in. Her stomach hurt where she had cut herself, her face was bruised from Jasper and it hurt just as much, and for some reason, that she couldn't comprehend, her head was pounding and sore.

"You lost a lot of blood."

She only let her eyes move to where the voice had come from, and saw her father sitting in a chair at her bedside, dressed in his suit and holding his chin with a fed up hand. Like he was presumably tired of the chain reaction events that had been occurring.

"You're lucky to be alive."

Slowly, as slow as her body would let her, she turned her head to her father and furrowed her brows. Why was she lucky to be alive? What happened?

He saw her confusion and it didn't hit him until now that she may not remember a thing that had happened to her. "You shot yourself Dannie. Do you remember that?"

She was shocked, but didn't show it. She only looked down the length of her father's lapel, soaking it in.

"You don't remember do you?"

Danielle shook her head no. Why on earth would she shoot herself? What an accusation.

"We couldn't find you, we looked for about fifteen minutes and finally heard you screaming in the backyard. And then a gunshot…"

She looked at him, wanting for him to keep telling the tale of such an awful claim.

"You shot yourself right here," he pointed to his forehead and slightly to the right, "you aimed the gun at an angle though, so it skimmed your skull. It was a miracle it didn't penetrate through."

She touched a hand to her head again and felt the area where she had shot. It was tender and raw feeling through the bandage.

"You were unconscious when I got to you, I took you back inside and went straight to repairing what had to be fixed. We did surgery for a few hours." He took a needed pause but continued, "You don't remember anything?"

Danielle shook her head carefully again and then turned away as if shy of her father.

"You can tell me." He put a hand on her shoulder and gained back her trust, "You can tell me anything you remember."

Her lips parted and trembled.

"It's okay."

She didn't want to tell him about the circus; she did remember that, quite fully. She even went as far as remembering that ill ending. Pointing the gun to her forehead was a release, it was intoxicating, a rush that made sense. Pulling the trigger was an even livelier one.

So she shook her head again, showing her father she didn't recall anything. Not fully understanding why she didn't want to tell him.

"Your mother is sleeping," he finally spoke after a long silent passing, "she's in her room, and Jasper just went downstairs."

She didn't care, she really didn't.

"Jasper got news of where Penguin may be hiding out at. I think that's the best news we've heard all week. I know your sixteenth year of living isn't seeming so reliable and fun as you probably hoped it would be."

She wanted to be alone, wanted the swelling of tears behind her eyes to stop, wanted her father to hold her tight and never leave.

Joker turned to Danielle and rested his forearms on the bed beside her, speaking in a subtle tone that was comforting to her, "Do you want me to get mom?"

She noticed she nodded, but wasn't completely aware of it until after. She wanted someone to hold.

As if by cue, Harley opened the door and snuck in, closing the door behind her. "I was just checking in. Oh baby! You're awake! Oh I was so worried!"

Danielle cowered away as Harley approached her in excitement. She was loud and bright, it was too much, it wasn't enough. It hurt.

"Slow down Harley," Joker calmly commanded. "Speak softer."

Harley stopped immediately and gained some composure as she began to tip toe instead of gallop toward her daughter, "I'm sorry Dannie, I was just excited."

Danielle still kept herself turned away from her mother, her face frowning with a flared aura, like it was too frightened to turn back.

"You had me worried sick," Harley smiled as she took a seat on the bed next to Danielle. "How are you feeling?"

How was she feeling? Like a ton of bricks had just been dropped on her and everyone was laughing. For some reason. But, there was no feeling really. No emotion but, hurt. No emotions at all but there were the reactions from emotions. She felt the need to cry, but she didn't feel sad. She felt the need to scream, but she wasn't angry.

"Dannie?" Harley reached her hand out to Danielle, and placed it on her shoulder.

She found herself placing her own hand on top of her mother's. She hadn't really known she had. But it felt nice there, soothing. She didn't dare turn back though, didn't look at her mother, just closed her eyes and with shaky fingers relaxed her hand.

Her parents remained quiet, like they somehow knew exactly what she needed from them. Silence. Comfort. More silence. She could feel the silky material of her mother's suit. It was the perfect thing.

She heard herself let out a combination of a cough and sob. It was indescribable the way she felt, it was nothing, it was blank. It was as if someone had wiped away every emotion she had ever felt before and was now destined to revive and discover each and every emotion again.

She felt, new. It was the closest thing she could describe it as, new.

"Do you want some water?" Joker asked.

She ignored it, she was too entranced by the elegant feel of her mother's hand. But she was still too uneager to turn back.

"Danielle." Harley smoothed her thumb back and forth over her daughter's shoulder. "I love you."

That helped. She turned back halfway, her eyes still shut, her lips tightly clamped together. Love. It was so advanced.

Harley reached her other hand out, palm upwards, fingers steady and tense free, waiting for anything it was given. "Dannie."

She peeked just a little, she couldn't resist, and when she saw her mother's hand outstretched before her she had the urge to take it. To hold it and double the sensation of what she couldn't feel but desired to experience.

And when she did take it, holding it tightly with her own hand, she went partially limp, relaxed. And she waited. Waited for any feeling to rise up, waited for something to spur in her gut. Waited for her heart to beat a little faster, or even a little slower. But there was nothing. Nothing.

There were no emotions. Just sensations.

Even then, it wasn't much.

"You'll be okay baby," Harley reassured her, as she tried to move her hand away but Danielle gripped harder.

She begged to feel something, anything as she stared far away at her toes. There had to be something. Anything would do.

"Danielle? What's the matter?"

She didn't know. She let go of her mother's hand and flashed her now empty fingers to her chest, right above her heart and felt. It was a steady, easy beat, bumping with a calm rhythmic tone. It was dull and boring. So she screamed, loud and hard, as hard as she could and then stopped.

"Jesus Dannie!" Harley yelled startled, pressing her own fingers above her heart. "You nearly made my heart jump out!"

She felt the beat, it was still steady, still beating exactly the same. No change at all, no emotion. But Harley's…it had 'jumped'. Danielle reached out and pushed away her mother's hand and replaced it with her own. She felt immediately the rush and quickened beat of her heart. It was lively and 'jumping'.

"Danielle," Joker caught her attention, "it's okay."

She swore from the way he spoke, he knew what was going on. But surely he didn't, couldn't. He could though, if he were really him. He wasn't.

But he was at one time.

Joker leaned toward her, "It's okay. I love you."

He knew. Maybe.

"They aren't gone," he whispered in her ear, "I promise they aren't."

He did know.

"Harley, why don't you get Danielle a glass of water? I'm sure she's thirsty."

Harley nodded and stood, "Sure, be right back Dannie."

And then it was just the two of them again. Staring at each other. Suddenly inhabited with like minds neither one of them had ever dreamed of. Emotionless, at least at one time for him.

"They aren't gone," he said again. "I know it feels different, but you'll be okay."

Danielle looked to him for answers, it didn't make sense. They weren't here, the emotions were gone. How were they not gone? They were.

"They just, trigger differently now. Sadness, happiness, frustration, anger, they don't happen the same way as before. You have to see things differently to be able to understand them." He felt himself reliving past adventures as he explained, "Everything is opposite with your mindset now, you've changed. Anger happens when someone else is happy, happiness happens when others don't quite get it, sadness happens when they do."

She shook her head not understanding.

"Something happened when that piece of metal from the rafter got stuck in your arm, I haven't been able to figure it out yet. But we'll help each other, okay? You'll be fine, you're better off this way, trust me."

He was so sure, you could see it right there, in his eyes. We'll help each other. She knew it was to help him be what he once was and let her be what she is. He was so sure this would work, and it would. She could tell.

Danielle nodded, she trusted him more than ever.

He smiled and it meant the world to her. His playful grin meant everything was going to be fine. And all wouldn't. But it was a life she had always wanted, one that associated her to her father in the eyes of Gotham and this was the ultimate way of achieving that. She now had the mind of him even more so.

She felt Joker kiss her temple and then rest his forehead there, calming her, driving her. "Discovering your emotions now, is like telling a joke to a crowd. You have to try different things to get the response you want."

She nodded again, closing her eyes as her father suddenly hugged her warmly and pressed his face against hers.

"You're going to be so fine, you're going to be great. It'll be hard at first, you'll have times where you just want to cry or scream. But I'll be here for every step."

"Here's the water baby girl," Harley closed the door behind her and presented it to Danielle quickly after. "Little sips."

She let go of her father and took the glass, bringing the ridge to her mouth and letting the cool burst of the water splash against her lips. It was delightful, like it was the first time she had ever felt water. Witnessed first hand the experience.

Joker stroked her hair smiling, he knew exactly what was happening and she knew he knew what it felt like.

Danielle smiled and flickered her eyes closed, tipping the glass a little more to let water hit her teeth. It was so new but she knew she had done it before. It was so different now. It was intense with feeling, sensation.

She brought back down the glass and held the water she had taken on her tongue, just let it sit as she felt the coolness of it. Then she let it drip slowly to her throat, where she lifted her chin and swallowed. And oh the feeling was magnificent. It was everything and practically nothing.

She opened her eyes and looked at her father who was still smiling. He knew exactly what she was feeling. She could even go as far as saying he was feeling each and every sensation she was encountering. Like he was remembering what it felt like long ago to have felt water for the first time. To feel its coolness play along your lips, and the way it warmed on your tongue, and then you swallowed and you desired more than anything to repeat it all day. He knew, because he went through the same thing when he was younger. She was sure of it.

"Feel good sweetie?" Joker asked and she nodded instantly.

It felt remarkable.

She hurried the glass back to her lips, ready to fully indulge her senses, wanting to pour the water all over her body and just let it soak into her skin, but Joker snatched the glass and took it away, "Easy does it. Little at a time."

Harley rubbed Danielle's shoulder, "You want to see Jasper?"

She grabbed her mother's hand and squeezed eagerly. Jasper, she hadn't seen him in a long time, it felt like anyways. Felt like it.

She watched her mother stand and go to the door, open it and lean halfway into the hall, calling Jasper to come in and soon he was. He was tall and dressed in his suit like he had been out on the town causing mischief. As he came closer, with slow and easy steps like Harley had told him to do, he removed his gloves and hat and took a careful seat on the bed beside her.

He didn't touch her, and she appreciated it. He waited for her to do what she was comfortable doing. But she wanted him to speak, she hadn't heard his voice in a long time.

She took a great deal of time just staring into his eyes, and she could see he was worried about her. There was reluctance to touch her though he wanted to, craved to hold her, she could tell. He wanted to hold her so tight and tell her he'd always be there for her, would always love her. But he was frightened he'd hurt her and she wasn't putting it past her that he could.

But she wanted to hold him too. So she gently touched his hand and broke eye contact with him. She only felt his hand clasp around her fingers, and then his other hand holding the back of her head as he pulled her softly toward him, hugging her. Whispering to her.

"I love you, I'll always be here for you baby love, I'll never leave. Are you alright?"

Danielle hugged him back, despite the ache in her head. She grinned feeling the soft kisses Jasper gave her on her ear, he didn't care what Joker or Harley thought for the first time, he just kissed her. And it felt amazing, the tingles she got as he pressed his lips all around her ear and neck it was new. Again, it was new.

"I love you," he pulled away and compassionately held her face with his hands, kissed her forehead as she reeled in it.

There were so many sensations to be registered, to be told. And he was creating so many, from the tingles to the shivers to the warmth. She was too captivated to have noticed Jasper pulling away from her forehead and moving his kiss to her lips. And when she realized this she pulled away and gasped.

"Dannie?"

Her mouth was agape as she looked down and away, registering that sensation that had caused her to gasp. It was intense, filled forever with emotion from him. It was genius in its captivity and she was all too thrilled to go back and encompass the feeling again, but in turn she was also not. It was a lot to go back to, it was sudden and caught her off guard.

Jasper held her shoulders, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay sweetheart," Joker reassured her. "It's okay." Jasper looked to Joker confused, but he only smiled back. "Don't kiss her, let her kiss you. It's okay Dannie, go ahead."

If he said it was okay, it must be. He knew after all. She looked back to Jasper and could see Harley out the corner of her eye, smiling. Maybe she knew too, she wasn't sure. It was all too much as Jasper leaned closer for her. And she could feel him hold her hands, so delicately. She touched the tip of her nose to his and then brushed her lips against his. It felt like a thousand tacks were being dragged against her skin, up and down, it was enthralling.

She moved her lips side to side along his, opened and closed her mouth to feel something different and she did, every time. It was like magic. Perfect magic. And then he smiled and something in her gut churned greatly. It was something new to feel, they were different now, even better than before. She couldn't take it, she couldn't control herself.

So she kissed him, squeezed her eyes shut and passively felt him kiss back. Suave. She couldn't stay any longer, it was too much, it was, and she pulled away.

Jasper smiled so bright, "Feels good huh?"

Feels good huh? She let out a long loud sigh, releasing as she scooted back against the wall. Maybe he knew too, maybe all three of them knew exactly what was happening with her. He had that same smile as her father and mother, she knew they all knew.

They were smart, they had all journeyed at one point in their lives to this exact moment. Jasper when he killed his mom and ventured into the world as a true villain, Harley when she first kissed the Joker, and her father…the Joker himself felt it when he came out of that vat of acid, a true new person. She was new.

She hadn't done anything worthy though, she shot herself? She even had to question that, she didn't remember…she did remember at the circus. That gun, she held it to her head and screamed and pulled the trigger. That's right she did remember. It was still nothing, it was nothing at all. She was just in the beginning of becoming new, she understood it. Somewhat. Not at all.

"Take a rest Dannie girl," Joker said. "Go ahead, go back to sleep. We'll all be right here when you wake up."

She believed him, his voice, she was sure of it. They would all be there, and maybe she would be in the mood to talk. Speak for the first time. Drink more water. Kiss Jasper. Feel her mother's hand. Anything that emitted more sensations. She would definitely hug her father again, definitely. He would show her everything now, he was here and he wasn't leaving. Together they would help one another.

Together.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

It was a feat that only could be accomplished by the highest of trained individuals. A devastating force of strength and agility, a blowing internal motivation and a sense of self-discipline were a simple must.

And she had them all.

With epic music playing and a grunting push of her limits, she reached high above her, driving with all her might to just tickle the brittle edge that was so close to her grasp. Sweat beads began to roll down from her temples as the earth she tip toed on adjusted, and with a quick replacement of her foot, she was able to find a new resting place for it as the devastating mountain crumbled and fell. A mere second more of hesitation and she would have been falling with it.

She focused back on her target and clinched her eyes shut, grunted again and exerted every bit of push she had in her.

She was so close, just a few centimeters more and she would have it all. She would defeat it all.

With her eyes still shut, she finally felt the thrilled feel of the weak rim and a great smile shot across her face. Little by little her fingers edged over the barrier and she was able to pull herself up just a tad. Any second now and all her dreams would be achieved.

But then, without any foreshadowing given, her stoop tipped forward and all of her dreams slimed away into a gloomy fall. Her hold of the edge was lost but in the downfall she managed to snag a prize that came tumbling down with her, sprinkling its wealth around about her as she came to a passionate, sure death.

As she fell slowly backwards, with the colorful bits of treasure flying in a magical presentation of bliss, she watched her once close destination become smaller and smaller.

Until finally her spine cracked against the floor, and there she lay, still, with everything around her silent and pure.

Again she looked back up to the cabinet and watched as the bag of colorful jellybeans that sat there spilled its innards onto the floor where she was sprawled. Their clashing onto the ground was the only noise that could be heard, their bouncing and falling…the only movement that was seen.

It was really quite beautiful, she had thought. The colors and what not…

As the clamor casually subsided, a bean every now and then falling, she noticed out the corner of her eye a tall lean figure, surprisingly white, and clothed in a purple suit she knew too well. God knew how long he had been watching.

He didn't move, nor did he speak. But she wasn't needy of those things, not after she had been told six…maybe seven times…that she was not to touch his sacred candy cabinet. For those were his, and his only.

But he had been gone for three weeks! And after many, many days of contemplation, she roused up enough courage to steal a handful of bellies. His timing of return back home was impeccable. She scrunched her face up and pondered if he had some secret candy sense…like the one Spider-Man has when someone wants to bash his head in.

Yes, yes that must be it.

Then finally a word was spoken, surprisingly from her own lips. "Hi daddy! When did you get back home?"

Joker looked down onto his daughter, "Just now."

"Oh! How was your trip?" She waited with a smile but when he didn't answer she knew it hadn't gone well. And neither was her attempt at escaping this dire situation.

His eyes moved from hers to the wounded bellies on the ground as he calmly folded his hands behind his back and approached the mess. When he did arrive to his final standing destination, just beside her, he pushed at a group of beans with his shoe and then rather displeased cast another look to her.

"Why, is my candy all over the floor, Danielle?"

His voice was not amusing. But with a quick smirk she answered, "A jellybean god got shot…right here."

"Oh?"

"Yea," she perked, "it was a massacre…"

His knees cracked as he bent down to her, and her purple eyes grew in fear. "What really happened?"

"Okay," she gave, "I had to climb up the snowy peaks of Jellybean Mountain because the hidden treasure of Chewy Bellies was there…and that's the only way you can kill off the giant man eating abominable platypuses…"

His right brow arched and she shook her head, fathomed that it wasn't self-explanatory.

"They're diabetics! Those poor things can't handle the sugar!"

After a seconds pause, he scooped her up and held her close, "How many were there?"

"Thousands."

"Well it's a good thing you made it, I would have missed you terribly."

Danielle chewed on a jellybean and smiled, hugging her father and hiding in her favorite little nook against his neck, with just enough visibility to be able to see where they were heading.

"Where's your mother?"

"I dunno," she replied, "I think she was still sleeping."

Joker walked with Danielle up the stairs and into the hallway before setting her down in front of her room, where upon a disappointed frown alluded over her face.

"I'll be right back," he sighed. "I'm just saying hi to mommy. Don't go and get all emotional over it."

"Oh of course," Danielle rolled her eyes, "just saying hi."

He smiled bright and patted his daughter into her room.

Harley wrapped herself in a warm towel and skipped out of the shower into the frigid air. Humming a quaint merry tune, she danced over to the sink and began to douse herself in moisturizers and fragrances, indulging in life's little pleasures with a smile.

"Getting dolled up for me?"

Her blue eyes beamed as she dropped all her goodies back onto the sink and twirled around, beaming, "Oh, Mistah J!"

The two of them indulged in a warm hug while Harley squealed in delight, "I missed you so much!"

"You always do, Pooh."

"DADDY!"

Danielle woke with a start from her parents bed, her eyes bright and wide, sweat beads dripping from her forehead. She hadn't been asleep long, she could faintly tell, and soon began scurrying her glances from left to right in search of anyone to cease her anxiety.

"What's wrong baby?" Joker called closing the bedroom door behind him. "You're okay I just went to get you a glass of water."

"Uh…"

"What are you trying to say?"

Danielle shook her head while rubbing her bandage wrapped around the bullet wound, she wasn't sure what she was trying to say. She hadn't spoken a word since the gunshot.

"Still don't want to talk? That's fine, here, sip."

She took the glass and steadied the water as it slopped from side to side, and just as she started to take a sip, she decided against it and handed the glass back to her father.

"You need water, you're probably dehydrated."

Danielle shook her head again.

"Fine," Joker reached a hand to her head and petted back her soft hair, "take a rest," he grabbed the remote for the overhead television and turned it on for his daughter, "watch some cartoons."

She could do that. Tom and Jerry was her favorite.

* * *

**I'm baaaaaaaaackkkkk...slowly though...it is the holidays ya know.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Enjoy this Chapter**

The moon shone down upon him as he flipped his dingy collar up about his strong neck. The night was growing darker, about half past one in the morning, and the sting from the coldness was sharp and numbing. Scurrying around the corner into a sunken damp alleyway, he could just make out a steaming sewer hole hiding in the low fog. With hasty steps he splashed his way through the murky puddles that lived along the alleyway floor and then he crouched down, revealing a small electrical device from his coat pocket.

Shaking from the cold, he pressed down on one of the buttons and soon a low murmuring beep sounded from the sewer hole followed by a demonic rumble while the hatch swung open.

He gave a quick look over his shoulder to make sure no one had seen his actions and when he felt safe enough to proceed with his doings he carefully crawled himself into the sewer hole.

"God, Flame," Jasper coughed. "Clean up the place once in a while."

As Jasper climbed down the rafter the awful smell of the sewer ways became burly in his nose. It was hard enough to hold in the dinner that Harley had made for everyone as it was. Her meatloaf was obviously not something to write home about.

Hitting the floor of the sewer way finally, Jasper could faintly hear the odd tune of an old television series. If he knew better he could say with confidence that it was Star Trek. Flame always did love that damn show.

A few corridors were passed before Jasper came to the last corridor and there, as he turned the corner, was his long time friend. A friend he hadn't seen in years that was flipping through channels on his television hastily while singing a lively tune.

"_You'll be swell! You'll be great! Gonna have the whole world on a plate!"_

"Flame…"

"_Startin_-… Jazz? Jasper is that you? My God I haven't seen you in…years!"

"I don't have time to chat. I need information that I know you have."

"No, no." Flame insisted. "Sit, sit!"

"Listen to me Flame, I need info and I need it now. About Penguin, I know you have it."

"Not until you sit and talk to me, then I'll answer all your questions." Flame looked Jasper up and down and smirked nicely. "You look good by the way."

Jasper took a seat and pulled out a Gurkha Black Dragon Cigar. "I need to know where Penguin is Flame. Tell me."

"Thanks for complimenting on my looks by the way…and I don't know where he is."

"Yes you do!" He pointed the cigar at him and then took a long drag from it. "I need to know where he is so I can kill the bird."

"What'd he do to you?"

Jasper rolled his eyes in anger, "He hurt my girl."

"Your…girl? Oh that's right, Joker's daughter, Danielle's her name?"

"That's right."

"Stab another dagger in my heart Jaspy. I thought what we had when we had it was the real thing."

"I used you and you know it."

"I didn't mind being used."

Jasper stood from his seat and stared hard at Flame, "Where's Penguin?"

"What's in it for me if I tell you?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "Where is he Flame? I don't have time."

"I don't know!" Flame leaped from his chair, sparks of fire spit away from his finger tips. "You leave me in the dirt after a job, to die, and you have the audacity to turn your gorgeous face up here and demand answers? What authority do you have!"

"I have every bit of authority over you!" Jasper yelled and clutched his friend's throat with one hand, forcing him back against a wall. He inched close to Flame's face and relaxed his eyes and glanced down quickly at Flame's lips then straight back to his deep red eyes. "Where is he Flame?"

"Why'd you leave me there?"

Jasper remained quite, his nostrils flared as beads of sweat began to dollop against his temples.

"I wasn't good enough for you? I wasn't everything for you? I didn't slave to your every command?"

"I didn't love you."

A tear slipped just as fast as Jasper had answered from Flame's eye.

A moment passed before Jasper swallowed down his spit. "Where is he, you worked for him…you must know."

"Do you love her?"

"With every fiber in my being." He finally removed his hand from Flame's throat, but remained close to him.

Flame nodded, "I know you do."

"Where's Penguin?"

"Ice Peak Tower. That's the last place I heard he was at."

Jasper held Flame's red-hot cheek, "Thank you."

He nodded again and watched Jasper turn away, but quickly stopped him. "Jasper? Was I always used? Every time we…, was I used?"

Jasper looked over his shoulder, "Not every time."

Flame smiled and picked at his fingernail with a look of bashfulness.

"But that's just what you want to hear."

With that said, Jasper left, and Flame still smirked at him running away. _"Everything's coming up roses…"_


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Joker examined the small piece of metal that had been removed from Danielle's arm after the incident at Ace Chemical Factory. He turned the piece side to side between a pair of tweezers, examining it thoroughly until he took a moistened cotton swab and proceeded to mop the metal chunk with it. The metal had stains of Danielle's blood on it still, but he refrained from swabbing those areas and only concentrated on the clean spots. Joker then took the swab and wiped the tip of it onto a viewing slide before placing it under a microscope lens to examine.

He looked into the eyepiece and adjusted and scanned until he could see parts of something very faintly.

Jasper walked into the lab after coming back from his visit with Flame, "I've got information on Penguin, Joker. I think I know where he is."

Joker looked out from the microscope lens and concentrated on Jasper, "Really? And how did you manage to accomplish that?"

"When you said Penguin was behind this, I checked up on an old friend of mine. He used to work for Oswald. Figured he'd know more than us on where he could be hiding. Turns out he knew."

"Ah, interesting," Joker said before looking back into the lens. He focused the scope slightly more and tilted his head at what he saw. "Jasper," he said still looking at the slide, "in the cooler behind me, I need you to find me a sample of something labeled as 'Ace Chemical'."

"Alright," he said and eventually retrieved the vile Joker wanted. "What are you doing?"

"Dannie seemed to go major buggo after our little trip to Ace Chemical's, so I figured I'd try my hand at examining the piece of rafter scrap metal that got into her skin."

"What would that have to do with anything?" Jasper said as he handed Joker the vile.

"I thought that too, but after looking at the metal further, I'm not sure it was the rafter metal at all that cut her."

"What else could it have been then?"

Joker took another moistened swab but this time took a sample of the contents inside the vile Jasper had handed him. "I think it was a piece of the vat she was in."

Jasper sat down beside Joker, "Okay, and what does _that_ have to do with anything?"

"There may have been acid on it still."

"Wait, what kind of acid? That factory's been closed down for decades. Even if they missed a spot when cleaning up that place, how could an acid stay around that long?"

"Well," Joker started, "if it's the acid I think it is, then it's got a pretty hefty life expectancy."

"What acid?"

Joker, after examining the two swabs contents, and confirming his suspicion, pushed himself back in his chair and looked at Jasper. "It's the same acid I fell into."

"You're saying that Danielle got acid into her blood stream? The same one you fell into at Ace?"

"Yes."

He squinted an eye, "I don't understand how that'd affect anything. She's got your blood. She would have received that chemical anyway, why is she just now having a reaction like this?"

"It takes two to tango Gumball, I wasn't the only contributor to her DNA."

"So?"

Joker sighed, "My you're acting dumb today. In other words," he stood up and bopped Jasper on the head, "she did not receive a direct dose of the chemical, it was diluted. When she received it via the metal, it wasn't diluted. Therefore, even with the small amount that she took in, she had side-effects from it." He perked his brows up, "Like hallucinations! That must have been what happened in the bathroom when she cut herself, and in the back when she- well you know."

"Makes sense, I guess. So what now?"

"I went through the same kind of experience when I took that plunge. It hurt very badly if I recall. Hallucinations and the whole bit happened. Next time I really grasped what was going on around me was about a month later. We just have to give her time, and keep a close watch on her."

Jasper nodded, "So about Penguin, what are we going to do there?"

"I've made a promise to my daughter to work on something else before that."

"What do you mean?" Jasper questioned unsteadily. "We've got information on where he's hiding! We have to jump on that!"

"Not yet," he said sternly. "And if I catch you doing anything else about Penguin, I'll kill you personally. You work for me, Jasper, and that means you follow my rules."

"Right, you're just going to off your daughter's boyfriend because he was going after Penguin? The guy who ordered his men to torture your daughter? Doesn't sound like earning brownie points to me, Joker."

"And you think that she'd be upset with me for doing it huh?" Joker smiled, "Do you think, if it came down between you and I, that she would hesitate in even the slightest way to choose who she'd go to?"

"No, I don't. She'd go to you, and I know that. But don't you assume for a second that I'm worthless in her eyes. I saved her that day, Joker. I saved her while you sat in the safety of your Arkham cell. And do you honestly think she wouldn't remember that for the rest of her life? Let alone the fact that _you_ ordered _me _to keep her safe while you sat in an eight by eight cage."

Joker wrinkled his nose and grimaced as Jasper went on.

"And look at you, you can't even tell her the truth about you hiring me six months ago. Because she'd know you were a _coward_."

Joker pulled out his gun quickly and pushed it straight into the middle of Jasper's forehead, "I will shoot you, Jasper."

"No you won't," he said fearlessly.

"What makes you think I won't?"

Jasper grinned and shrugged, "You aren't even The Joker. Look at you. You used to be the talk of the world. When villains wanted to scare other villains, they'd tell Joker stories, now they talk about me, Two-Face, little nobodies even! You're washed up. You're nothing anymore. You aren't even concerned with Batman, your once prime objective. I'm going after Penguin and everyone affiliated with him for what they did to Danielle. Also, you're not even _funny_ anymore."

Joker aimed the gun into Jaspers gut and pulled the trigger, watching him fall to the ground as he did.

"Jesus Christ! You fucking shot me!" Jasper hunched his body into the fetal position as he pressed his hands against his wound.

Joker leaned down to him and pointed the gun back to Jasper's forehead, "I will shoot you."

"Then do it!" Jasper coughed and spit up blood, and looked into Joker's eyes grinning. He chuckled up spurts of blood and tilted his head still looking to Joker.

Joker tilted his head too and furrowed his brow.

"That's the first time I've ever seen The Joker in real life."

Harley ran into the room at the sound of the gunshot and saw Jasper piled on the floor with blood pooling around him. "Oh my God, what happened!?"

Jasper pulled himself up onto one knee, "You know, I always looked up to you when I was a kid." He coughed and stood up, steadying himself on Joker's shoulder. "I wanted to be the greatest super villain just like you."

Joker picked Jasper up, and threw him over his shoulder. "Shut up, Jasper."

* * *

**An actual update here! Looking forward to working on this story and getting it finished guys! Thanks for reading!**


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